


The One I Call My Own

by suchselfishprayers



Series: heathens kiss softly [1]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Canon-Typical Violence, Episode Related, Father/Son Incest, Knotting, M/M, Mildly Dubious Consent, Parent/Child Incest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-28
Updated: 2015-01-15
Packaged: 2018-02-23 01:34:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 13
Words: 48,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2529131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suchselfishprayers/pseuds/suchselfishprayers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As Rick and Carl escape from the prison, Rick realizes that something has changed. Carl has presented as an omega and now their whole relationship is about to shift.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1: Rick

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on a TWD-kinkmeme prompt found here: http://twd-kinkmeme.livejournal.com/5396.html?thread=7425300#t7425300.  
> Fair warning: My grammar is terrible and I have no beta reader so all mistakes are my own. I have no idea how long this work will run or how long it will take me but I'm determined to stick it out to the end.

It had begun as they were making their escape through the dimly light trees that surrounded the prison. Carl’s smaller body was tucked into Rick’s right side serving as a makeshift crutch. Pain racked the elder’s body but he continued to shuffle along as best he could. The smell of burning flesh and gunfire still lingered in his nose and he wished to god it would dissipate soon.

Gone. It was all gone. As an alpha, Rick keenly felt the loss of his territory, his offspring, and his family. It had all been an illusion. Yet even now, Rick knew he couldn’t focus on the past. Too many things lay ahead.

They needed food, water, shelter. Things that he once took for granted. As they limped along, Rick became keenly aware of his son’s warmth soaking through his side. He gripped Carl’s arm tighter, unwilling to lose the feel of heated skin beneath his hands.

Eventually they had traveled several hours and the alpha could feel the throb in his leg causing agony with each step.

“Let’s rest for a minute,” Rick wheezed. There was a clump of trees that provided some cover. Carl helped ease his father down to the dirt then took out his gun to stand watch.

Despite feeling the jagged brush of the bark against his back, Rick had sense enough to pull strips off from his, already ripped, shirt and wrap up the gunshot wound on his leg. Amazingly it had missed anything vital, or so he assumed, as the bleeding hadn’t been too bad. As he tightened his makeshift bandage a spasm shot up his hip and the alpha did all he could to suppress a whine.

Thankfully there seemed to be no walkers in the vicinity though that probably wouldn’t last for long. Time slipped by unheeded. The alpha began to take deep breaths through his nose though his chest still burned with every gasp. He had to filter through many scents including the smell of the dirt, the wood smell of the tree he sat against, and the sharp tang of his own blood.

“I think I’ll be able to get by on my own now. If you’ll help me up, we’ll see what we can find up ahead,” Rick rasped to his son.

The boy only nodded in response. Skinny arms wrapped around the older man’s shoulder and pulled, causing the alpha to pitch forward. For a brief moment the alpha’s face was pressed into his son’s neck

In that instant Rick had inhaled in his son’s scent.

On unsteady feet, the alpha thanked his son. His outward appearance showed calm but internally he was screaming. Carl had finally presented his dynamic.

Omega.

Before Carl’s scent had been an earthy dirt scent that was always mixed with sweat. Now it was a sweet lavender smell. It reminded Rick of the omega secretary who use to work at the police station. She had a similar sweet smell she liked to try to cover up with foul smelling perfume.

Without being told to Carl began to walk ahead and Rick allowed it. It gave him a chance to sort through the tangled mess of thoughts in his head.

_What the hell am I gonna do now?_

Truth be told, he had been worried for the past few months that Carl still hadn’t presented. Years of schooling had taught him that neglected or mistreated children often presented their dynamics later in puberty.

As a cop he had seen a few cases where the child was taken into protective custody with no dynamic listed. Rick had hoped in the past six months things were getting better. True their food stores had never been overflowing, but more often than not there had been enough for everyone to eat.

Every so often Rick would sneak larger portions for Carl and took less to keep it even. Carol had a sixth sense though and would always approach him later with a frown etched on her face. She would scold him for doing and the alpha would always make the empty promise that he wouldn’t do it again.

The sound of their steps became synchronized. Carl’s steady and sure steps were echoed by the step, drag of Rick limping with his injured leg. Walking directly behind his son, Rick was able to keep the omega’s scent in his nose. A small sense of calm filled him, knowing that omega was close.

As they walked, Rick slowly began to realize that his son’s sweet scent had shifted into something sour and definitely not pleasing to Rick’s alpha senses. Carl was angry and after everything that had happened, Rick couldn’t fault his son for that anger.

He did have to suppress the urge to call the omega back. Instinct demanded the omega stay by his side so his alpha could keep watch. All omega’s needed to have an alpha look after them.

"Carl, slow down. Carl, stop!” The omega finally paused. “We need to stay together. We got to find a place with food, supplies," Rick continued. The now growing itch gnawed at him. The omega was ignoring his commands.

Shaking himself from that line of thought, Rick tried to comfort his son. “"Hey. We're gonna be...” but the look from Carl stopped him cold. The elder man watched his son walk away and hobbled after him.

Even as they followed empty road, hopefully towards a town, Rick was weighed down by his worries. How was he going to protect Carl from interested alphas? What about his heats? Carl was already undernourished and there was no telling what effect that would have on his heats. Eventually he would have one and any living alpha would be enticed by that alluring scent. What about birth control?

The thought of a strange alpha forcing themselves on his vulnerable son made Rick’s blood boil. Humanity being as it was, Rick wasn’t sure he would ever find an alpha he could trust with his son, his only remaining child in the world.

 _Not that Carl can’t take care of himself when the occasion calls for it_ , he thought. The kid was getting as good as he was with a gun. He no longer wasted shots trying to take walkers down. The night the walkers broke through the prison fence was proof of that. The alpha could still recall the sense of pride that surged through him as his son mowed down walkers with deadly efficiency.

Carl continued to walk ahead and Rick struggled to keep up. More memories of lessons about omegas brought forward the reminder that Carl’s body was going to go through the same changes every newly presented omega went through. It would be painful and the boy would need rest and food in order to make the transition smoother.

After what seemed like hours there was a break in the road and they came across a small roadside restaurant. Rick’s first impulse was to check the place out himself. “Wait outside, okay? Keep watch.”

He wasn’t expecting Carl to snap back, “You keep watch. You can barely stand. I’m not gonna let you go in there alone.”

“Excuse me?” Rick growled at the impudent omega.

"We've done this before. I'm gonna help you clear it. You should just let me do it myself," Carl made no attempt to hide his rude thoughts. Rick almost scolded the omega for not obeying his alpha before reminding himself that this was his son and he did have a valid point. Not that Rick was very happy about being reminded that he was in a weakened state.

"Let's go," he ordered. He went in first and he heard Carl follow. His eyes darted around each room making sure there were no surprises. In the main dining room, he began to hear the tell-tale snarling of a walker from behind a barricade of chairs and tables.

Quickly deciding to take care of the large walker himself, the alpha pulled out his axe with his good hand and prepared to take it on. The first whack didn’t go deep enough and soon he was embroiled in a struggle. He made sure to order Carl to not shoot.

_Crack!_

The gunshot almost took him by surprise which swiftly turned into anger.

"I said not to," he yelled.

"You couldn't do it with the ax!" Carl spat back.

"What if you needed that one later?” Rick did his best to restrain his own temper. “See what you can find. Then let's move on." He needed to make sure his omega was fed. After grabbing what small amount of supplies he could scrounge up, he held up his bag towards his son. “Kitchen wasn't empty after all. My haul. You?”

Carl’s darker blue eyes held the alpha’s stare and Rick chaffed at the challenge that stare promised.

“I win,” Carl declared. Rick’s fingers twitched with the desire to grab the boy’s bony shoulders and shake him. Instead he gathered the bags and walked out the door. Once again Carl walked ahead and once again, Rick let out a huff of frustration that the omega wouldn’t stay by his side.

 _What am I going to do Lori?_ Rick thought to himself. _If he continues to challenge my authority, I don’t know if I can control myself. I shouldn’t feel these urges to make him submit to my influence._ Yet with every step Rick could feel the desire to force the petulant omega to obey.

Prior to this Rick had never had a problem controlling his alpha impulses. Even struggling with Shane, he still managed to keep himself in check. He tried to turn his thoughts to their immediate needs.

As the daylight shifted into the grey light of evening, Rick did his best to keep an eye out for a place to camp. A real roof was necessary to protect them both, especially given the alpha’s weakened state. He had to call out several times to get Carl to stop.

“That one’s a good as any,” He said stopping them in front of a large white house with a substantial porch.

With their guns up they started the process of checking the house, but Rick didn’t want the teenager to go into any rooms by himself. Carl, however, was once again moving ahead on his own.

“Carl,” Rick whispered loudly.

"I got it. All the doors down here are open," Carl said as he headed towards an open door. Rick couldn't believe that his omega was disobeying him again.

"Just stop!" The alpha shouted.

The omega’s face was full of defiance as he turned around then started pounding on the wall. "Hey, asshole! Hey, shitface! Hey..."

Rick said the first thing that came to his mind, "Watch your mouth!" It only took him a second to realize how ridiculous he sounded but he did not back down from his command.

"Are you kidding me? If there's one of them down there, they would have come out," The teen turned and continued further into the house.

There it was again. The pulsing need to hold the omega still and look eye to eye to _make_ him understand that the alpha _needed_ to be obeyed. Why did he have to fight against Rick’s commands? Didn’t he understand that he was safer by the side of his alpha?

"Stop it Grimes," Rick muttered when he realized where his thoughts were going. "He's your son, not your omega." He repeated those words under his breath as he checked through the kitchen. He made especially sure to keep an eye out for medicine bottles.

Carl needed suppressants and he needed painkillers. Though it probably wasn’t healthy for a newly presented omega to be put on suppressants so soon, Rick couldn’t take any chances.

The creaking steps let him know that Carl was checking the upstairs. Despite that the alpha knew he would go back and re-check. Everything had to be secure.

_I’ve got keep Carl safe. I can’t fail again._

But he had failed, first with Lori and now Judith. Rick knew that he wouldn’t be able to survive losing Carl.

When it finally got dark, they started preparing their sleeping arrangements. Despite Carl tying the door, Rick could feel insecurity itch at his brain. He slowly pushed the fall couch towards the door. His body ached in protest but he kept on pushing, even when his son turned to give him another disdainful look.

“I tied the door shut,” the omega explained.

"We don't need to take any chances," Rick responded. _With the living or with the dead_ , he thought to himself. Carl’s scent was already becoming intoxicating to him. He knew it wouldn’t be long before other alphas recognized it for what it was; the scent of a ripe young omega.

"You don't think it'll hold?" The anger was clear in his son’s voice.

Carl," Rick started hoping to stop the fight that he knew had been building all day long.

"It's a strong knot," the teen argued. Rick wasn’t going to think about the shudder that went through his body when the omega said the word knot. _He wasn’t._

"Clove hitch. Shane taught me. Remember him?" Carl’s blue eyes were full of accusation.

Rick's stomach clenched. He couldn't believe his son had brought Shane up.

"Yeah, I remember him. I remember him every day." _Damn it_. "There something else you want to say to me?" The alpha held his gaze steady.

He had been expecting Carl to say something else argumentative but instead his son simply met his stare then looked away. For a brief moment Rick felt triumphant. The omega should defer to him. That was the natural order of things.

“Help me move the couch,” there was no mistaking the alpha’s tone.

The set the couch up and Rick’s next thought was to make sure the omega ate something. He held out the bag to his son.

“You should eat,” Rick wheezed.

“We should save it,” Carl replied. Ignoring him, the alpha attempted to open the bag but struggled with his injured hand. The bag was abruptly ripped from him and opened then tossed back at him.

Rick managed one bite of the cracklins before he hobbled over to the omega.

"Hey," Rick whispered harshly.

“I don’t want any.”

"Eat it. _Now._ " This order came with alpha influence behind it. Rick limped to the bathroom in order to see what he could do about his wounds. He made sure to check the whole bathroom for suppressants but found none.

_I’ll have to check all the surrounding houses for some tomorrow._

When he came back into the front room, he was pleased to see that some of the food had been eaten from the bag. A part of him didn’t want to sleep in the same room as Carl. Their scents would mix in the night and it would be harder to remind himself of the familial taboo that existed between them.

Not only that but Rick hadn’t yet explained to Carl what was going on. His son was probably already feeling the pain of his body shifting and had no idea as to what it was. However the physical and emotional exhaustion of the day weighed too heavily on Rick.

_In the morning. I’ll talk to him about it in the morning._

As the alpha began to settle on the couch he looked to see Carl laid spread out on a makeshift bed of couch pillows already fast asleep. Rick took in a deep breath and sighed, reveling in the warm sweetened scent of the omega.

Making sure to lay completely on the sofa, hoping his body weight would block any intruders, Rick began to drift into unconsciousness with one lingering thought.

_Everything will be better in the morning._


	2. Chapter 2: Carl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carl wakes up to find his father unconscious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a little harder to write since there wasn't much dialogue. Keep in mind that most of the italics are character thoughts. Again I have no beta reader so all grammar mistakes are my own and I apologize ahead of time.

As Carl made himself comfy on his makeshift bed of pillows, he could hear his father shuffling around in the other room. He knew his Dad’s injuries were bad but he couldn’t stop the simmering anger in his stomach. Twisting and turning, he tried to make himself comfortable. Slowly he became aware that the feeling in his lower stomach was pain.

The teen rolled over and up from his nest and made his way upstairs to the other bathroom he had seen earlier. The aching started to get worse but Carl quickly realized it wasn’t really a stomach or food problem. After a while the pain became a rolling ache, dull but consistent. Carl resigned himself to the pain and made his way back to his bed.

_What is wrong with me?_ He thought.

Memories of the illness that swept the prison made Carl shudder. What if he was getting sick? They no longer had a doctor or any medical supplies to speak of. With those worries painted through his brain, he eventually succumbed to sleep.

Dim mid-morning light woke him with the pain still present in his lower stomach. Ignoring the ache as best he could, Carl pushed himself up and watched as his father slept.

Grabbing a bag of cereal, the teen went into the kitchen and made use of some bowls and spoons. As he poured himself a bowl, for some reason, he thought of his father. He had the brief notion of serving his dad some and taking it to him. It was ridiculous. Carl wasn’t going to wait on his dad. Still he poured a second bowl and left it on the table with the spoons and water bottles, on the kitchen table.

He quickly chewed down the first bowl, keenly aware of his hunger. Wandering around the first floor, he ended up spending some time watching his dad sleep before returning to the kitchen.

Just to be spiteful he grabbed the second bowl and took it upstairs to eat in the boy’s room. The small bed alcove was oddly comforting. He could still feel a bit of pain in his stomach but it was manageable especially compared to other pains he had known.

When Carl made his way downstairs to find his dad still lying on the couch, he felt a cold sensation of uneasiness. He swallowed it down.

"Dad?” He kicked at his father’s prone foot. “Dad, wake up."

The body on the couch remained still. Quickly the teen ran into the kitchen and grabbed a nearby hand towel. He doused it with water and pressed it against his dad’s forehead.

“Mom use to do this to me when I was sick,” He muttered softly. The memories of his mother’s soft touch on his head were hazy though, as if they were slowly disappearing from his mind.

Silence reigned for a few moments but as he continued to sit there he felt a wave of hot anger well up in him.

“No. You have to wake up right now.” His voice got louder with every passing moment his father remained unmoving. The cold uneasiness morphed into full-blown distress.

" _Wake up!_ " His shouts grew steadily louder until they were interrupted by the harsh guttural sound of growls and hands clawing against the door.

Carl froze as dread rose up his spine. He didn’t know what to do. A whine nearly tore itself from his throat in an attempt to wake his father. Unsure as to where that impulse had come from, the teen took a deep breath.

_I can take care of this by myself._

He grabbed his gun and hat and made for the side door. His encounter with the two, then three walkers went by in a blur of calmness and panic. With the acidic taste of stomach acid still in his mouth, he made his way back to the house where his father remained comatose.

“I killed three walkers,” he declared out loud to his father’s sleeping body.

The sight of the unconscious body, the stress of being attacked by three walkers, all combined with the dull ache of pain in his stomach caused Carl to dislodge the resentment he had been holding back for two days.

"They were at the door. They were gonna get in, but I lured them away. I killed them. I saved you. I didn't forget while you had us playing farmer.” He couldn’t help let disdain color his voice. “I still know how to survive. Lucky for us."

_I don't need to be protected by you or by anyone._ Not that any of the adults had ever believed that he could.

"I don't need you anymore. I don't need you to protect me anymore," he continued out loud. "I can take care of myself. You probably can't even protect me anyways. You couldn't protect Judith. You couldn't protect..."

A glance back up to the door reminded him of the walkers from earlier so he did his best to curb his shouting.

"Hershel or Glenn or Maggie. Michonne, Daryl, or Mom. You just wanted to plant vegetables. You just wanted to hide. He knew where we were and you didn't care!"

_You let us all down. You let me down._

"You just hid behind those fences and waited for...They're all gone now. Because of you! They counted on you! You were their leader!"

_You were my leader, my alpha. I trusted you._

His anger spent, Carl sunk to the ground and curled up with his back to the couch. Even with his face buried in his arms, he could still smell traces of the decaying bodies that had fallen on him.

His muscles felt limp from his emotional outburst. Frustration though still burned through him, a reminder from all those long months ago when his father had shown up with the bus full of Woodbury survivors. He knew nothing good would come of it.

"But now you're nothing." It was the worse insult he could think of through the haze of resentment and sorrow.

_I’m not going to let you disappoint me again._

After a while he emptied one of the food bags next to him and pushed himself up. As he moved to leave, he let out one last remark.

“I’d be fine if you died.”

Oddly enough Carl found he enjoyed walking around the deserted neighborhood. Other than the three from earlier, the small town seemed mostly walker free. In the mid-morning light the row of houses were deceptively peaceful and calming.

_I’ll search out more supplies._ Food was always something they needed and Carl was determined to put a small stash together.

He selected a large house but paused to pull up a staked light from the front yard as an extra weapon. The door looked locked so he figured he would have to break it down.

_It can’t be that hard._ His dad and Daryl use to do it all the time.

Stepping back he got a running start but with a _thunk_ , he bounced right off the door and to the ground.

“Damn it.” _I’m too small to even break down a door._

It wasn’t a great start to his newly found independence. Shaking the failure off, he instead used the light to wedge the door open.

_Well that’s something at least._

With his gun up, he began to systematically check the house. He tried to contain his glee as he started looking through the kitchen which seemed untouched by other scavengers. Something though caught at the corner of his eye and he smiled.

Because of his lack of height, he had to climb on top of the counter to retrieve what ended up being a giant can of chocolate pudding. Carl couldn’t remember the last time he saw such a huge amount of sugar like this. He was briefly reminded of Michonne’s fondness for expired M&Ms but shook off the memory.

_I should probably check the upstairs for anything that might be useful._

That was one of the most crucial lessons he had learned during that first winter when the whole grouped lived scavenging from neighborhood to another. In hindsight his trek upstairs ended up being a terrible idea.

The huge walker took him by surprise. Frantically he tried to shoot it but fell back and ended up wasting two shots in the air. Finally a shot landed but missed its mark and the walker kept lumbering towards him.

Carl scrambled into the open room and tried to shut the door. Panicked he ran to the window and strained to throw it open but it was stuck. Hearing the clunk of the walker’s footsteps, the teen grabbed a lamp and swung it at the walker.

When that failed he did his best to scramble away. He couldn’t help the whine-like cry that tore from his mouth as he felt large hands pull at his legs. Carl kept moving though physically pushing his body so the dead human wouldn’t be able to get its mouth on him.

After scrambling with the books he finally got the door shut with the walker trapped inside. His lungs exhaled the breath he had been holding.

_I beat him_.

He felt the occasion needed to be marked. With a piece of chalk he spotted on the floor, he marked his triumph on the door both as a warning and as a boast.

Letting the chalk fall from his fingers he watched it bounce on top of one of the many books that had littered the hallway. He stopped to read the cover title. The Change: Everything a Parent needs to know about their child’s newly presented status.

_Oh_ , Carl thought. _So that’s it_.

He had presented. But he didn’t feel like a beta. In fact, if he was remembering right, the stomach pain indicated that he was an omega. Yet that couldn’t be right. Lori had been a beta and his dad an alpha. Lessons, from what felt like a lifetime ago, began to surface in his brain. In fifth grade every class had been given 'the talk'.

Not just the awkward conversation about sex ed, but the reminder of their soon-to-be-presented dynamics. Carl could remember the male teacher speaking eloquently about being an alpha or beta but quickly glossing over omegas.

_I wonder if my scent has changed_?

He had never been very good at differentiating scents before. Carol had tried to teach him at one point but it hadn’t really seemed important at the time. He knew that his dead smelled a bit like pine trees and his mother had smelled of cinnamon.

The teen picked up the book and quickly flipped through it to find a chapter entitled _Male Omegas: How to Understand Your Omega Son_.

Taking the book with him he went downstairs to find the container of pudding. Quickly sorting through the utensils he managed to find a can opener to carefully open the can and situated himself on the roof of the house to eat it.

Behind he could hear the snarls of the trapped walker but Carl paid it no attention. For that moment he just enjoyed the sugary taste of the pudding.

_If I’m an omega that means I can have babies and stuff_.

Wasn’t that the weirdest thing?

_I’ll have heats to…attract an alpha_.

But the thought of having to submit to an alpha left a bad taste in his mouth. I mean, he was couldn’t stand obeying his father at the moment. How on earth would he ever find a mate?

_No! I don’t need an alpha to take care of me_. _I’m gonna survive on my own_.

After Carl got back to the house, he tried again to shake his dad awake. Still his father slept on. The man’s normally strong pine scent was weak and smelled bitter. Deciding to stay downstairs in case something happened, he made himself comfortable on the floor at his dad’s feet.

With his back against the couch, he pulled out the book and began reading the chapter about male omegas.

_Male omegas, though rare, are one of the more difficult dynamics for parents to adjust to. In most cases the alpha parent will have to serve as a familial alpha until the omega finds a mate. Male omegas find it a bit more difficult to transition into their changes. Once presented male omegas will tend to nest, usually in enclosed spaces with many linens. They enjoy being taken care of but can be independent should the need arise._

_Well that’s good to know at least._ Carl sighed and threw his head back against his dad’s leg. With a deep breath he inhaled that bitter scent, allowing it to comfort him though he wasn’t sure why it was comforting.

As night fell Carl continued to read the book, sometimes, re-reading certain paragraphs in order to fully remember them. It said that the changes their bodies went through after presenting could be especially painful.

_Well it hurt but it wasn’t as bad as all that_.

Of course compared to the pain of being shot he wasn’t sure that anything would able to measure up to that.

“Maybe there’s something wrong with me,” He whispered to the silent room. For sure he had presented much later. The book said most male omega’s present by the age of twelve or thirteen. Carl no longer had any sense of time but it had at least been two years, maybe more, since he had been twelve when everything had fallen apart.

He read on:

_It is a common misconception that male omegas are weaker than male betas and alphas. There have been many recorded incidents where male omegas were able to successfully defend their alphas. However it is still true that most male omegas tend to be physically smaller than beta and alphas._

The teen sighed at that. It hadn’t escaped his notice either that while had grown during the last six months in the prison, his height still left something to be desired. Of course his dad wasn’t very tall and Lori had always been built smaller. Maybe he just inherited more of her genes.

As he read, he marked some pages he wanted to show his dad when he woke up.

_If he ever wakes up_.

Firmly putting that thought aside, he found a section on male omega reproduction. The diagrams and pictures made him squirm uncomfortably so he mindfully skipped those pages for another time. The heat of the afternoon permeated the room and lulled him into a deep sleep.

Something lightly startled him awake. It was completely dark outside save for the moonlight coming in through the window. Rubbing his eyes, Carl looked towards his dad and realized something was wrong.

The older man’s hand twitched violently in a way that seemed unnatural and an abnormal wheezing echoed through the room.

Gasping, Carl shoved himself backwards as far as he could. His ears burned with that inhuman like rasp coming from the body on the couch and with each passing second it rang louder and louder in his ears.

_Oh god_.

A hand reached out towards him in the dark. His dad’s blue eyes reflected the light but even in the dark the omega couldn’t tell if they were glazed over with film.

Carl scrambled to grab his dad’s revolver and he cocked the trigger. As he held it up, he watched his dad’s body fall to the ground in an uncoordinated move that could only mean one thing.

_He’s gone. He turned_.

His mind repeated those words over and over again; his hands shook as the realization sunk into his very bones. Despair called forth pathetic sobs from his throat and hot tears began to spill onto his cheeks while his father’s body moved closer to him.

_I’m alone. He’s gone. I can’t do this by myself. I can’t live without him. He’s all I have left. I have nothing._

The moment the outstretched hand grasped his foot, almost exactly like the walker from earlier, Carl felt his muscles go limp and the gun tumbled to the ground.

“I can't.” _I can’t do this by myself._

“I was wrong.” _Daddy I need you._

“Just do it.” _I can’t be without you_.

Unconsciously Carl tilted his head back to bare his neck and waited for the searing pain of teeth meeting flesh.

“Carl,” his father’s voice rattled.

Startled, the omega opened his eyes to see his father’s face looking up at him. The alpha’s blue eyes, now clearly shining in the moonlight, reflected lucidity.

“Don’t go outside. Stay safe.” Relief flooded Carl’s body. He watched his dad fall on his back breathing heavily from exertion.

_He’s alive_.

Carl scrambled to place his dad’s head in his lap. He needed to feel his father’s warmth on his skin. The need to physically feel the evidence that his dad, his alpha, was alive overwhelmed him completely.

He took a deep breath and filled his lungs with the scent of his father, letting it envelope him. Stuttering just a little, he found the courage to say the words he had been denying to himself all day.

“I’m scared.”

Over and over again he sobbed those words softly. Ever so gently he leaned down to rest his forehead against his fathers, feeling the warmth of the alpha’s skin bleed into his.

_I need you to be with me_.

Curling his body around his alpha, eventually the teen succumbed to exhaustion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be alternating Rick and Carl's POV as we go along. Please let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3: Rick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick is finding it harder to control his impulses. Maybe a reunion with Michonne will help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now we're moving out of "After" and into "Claimed". There will be more additions as we go through that episode. Also I love Michonne.

Rick could only faintly recall waking up gasping. His lungs burned but he could smell something that sent every biological impulse off in his mind. The sharp, almost metallic, scent of fear saturated the room.

_Carl_?

It had to be. His omega was so terrified that his scent was spreading fast. Thousands of years of biological instinct forced Rick awake but his body was too weak to obey him. With his lungs still burning, he kept trying to take in the needed breath to stand.

All he managed to do was to roll his body on to the ground. Trying his best to ignore the agonizing pain, he began to drag his frame towards the source of the scent.

_I’m here Carl_.

He could hear the omega crying pitiful sounds that made Rick ache to his bones. The alpha stretched out his hand blindingly to touch the omega to calm him.

“Don’t go outside. Stay safe,” He managed to wheeze out before the darkness swallowed him again.

When he woke again, he blinked at the sunlight in his eyes. Lifting his arm to shield his face from the sun, he became aware that he was lying on the floor. He tilted his head up and found himself looking up into the sleeping face of his son.

Even from where he lay, Rick could see faint marks of tears that still stained his son’s pale cheeks.

“Carl?” He gasped softly. After a moment Carl’s eyes blinked open and lit up when their eyes met.

“Dad? Are you okay? How do you feel?” The teen started to move slightly, trying to not jostle his father.

“I feel like a truck ran over me,” Rick answered. “Help me up.”

His muscles protested the movement but between the two of them they managed to get Rick up into a sitting position against the couch. Carl fidgeted nervously before he moved to bring his dad a water bottle which Rick quickly gulped down.

“What happened?” He asked as he finally stopped drinking.

The omega moved to sit next to him, with their bodies touching ever so lightly.

“You were unconscious. I couldn’t wake you.”

The alpha sensed that a lot more had happened but didn’t push the teen for more.

“I went out to get food and had to take care of a couple of walkers,” Carl explained slowly as if he expected his dad to get angry. Yet Rick didn’t feel anger, though he knew he should. Instead he felt a strange sense of calm that he hadn’t felt before.

“You shouldn't have risked it, going out there like that. It's dangerous,” he tried to be gentle with his admonishment.

“I was careful,” Carl responded though he lowered his head a bit.

“It’s good that you found more food.”

“I found even more. But I ate it.”

Rick paused at that. “What was it?”

“112 ounces of pudding,” Carl answered sheepishly. Even Rick couldn’t help the smile on his face. Only a child of his could eat a giant container of pudding without even blinking. However it reminded him of a very important conversation they needed to have.

“Carl, we have something…” Rick started.

“Dad, I know,” his son interrupted him. “I found a book and realized what was going on.” A flush prettily colored the omega’s freckled laden cheeks. Despite the clear sign of embarrassment, his son seemed to shuffle closer to him.

“I don’t know how I feel about it though.”

“It’s…” Rick tried to gather his thoughts. “It’s okay that you’re an omega, son. I mean it’s unexpected. I always assumed that our kids would be betas.”

“It isn’t a bad thing to be an omega,” He continued, “Before there would have been some stigmatism about it, but given how things are today?”

“I’m just a little worried,” Carl admitted. He stared down at his hands. “The book tells me a lot but it’s scary to think that I’m going to…go through heats and stuff.”

The teen stuttered at the word “heat” and shuffled around again. Rick reached out and placed his hand on the omega’s neck. If his memory served him right, there was a pressure point that helped calmed omegas. He could feel the tension in the omega’s neck release at his touch.

“I wish I knew more about omegas. Before I married your mother I did date one omega girl, so that’s about the limit of my knowledge but I’ll do my best to help you as much as I can.”

Carl nodded and he leaned further into his father’s touch, his eyes fluttering shut as if he were in a trance. Rick swiftly pulled his hand away ignoring that, for a brief moment, Carl’s body tried to follow the warmth of the alpha’s hand.

“I know we'll never get things back to the way they used to be,” Rick continued.

“What?” That appeared to awaken Carl from his stupor.

“I only clung to that for you. For Judith. Now she’s gone.” _I wish I could bring her back_. “And you…you’re a man, Carl.” _You’re so much stronger then I am_. “You’re a man. I’m sorry.”

Rick watched his son for a moment, recognizing that something had changed in the teen’s bright blue eyes.

“You don’t need to be.”

The omega gave him a small, shy smile. Rick couldn’t help but return it. He took another gulp of water and enjoyed the comfortable silence. Without thinking he took a deep breath through his nose and had to suppress a shiver.

Their scents were undeniably mixed. _It doesn’t matter_ , Rick tried to reason with himself.

_I can be his familial alpha. That’s how it used to be with omega children._

Of course those modern people had long forgotten what it was like to live in a world where survival was in doubt every minute of every day. Already Rick knew he and Carl relied on each other too much for emotional support. The alpha just had to be careful he didn’t cross that line.

Rick chanced a glance at the teenager and was greeted by the sight of Carl’s head titled away from him. All he could concentrate on was the expanse of pale skin that would look so pretty if he marked it.

_Stop it. This is your son_.

He couldn’t think about how much Carl had grown in the past six months. How the omega was showing signs of inheriting Lori’s delicate looks. Lanky limbs that were starting to grow out of the coltish phase of their development or the slightly maddening sight of Carl’s brown locks framing that perfect spot on his fair neck.

But he couldn’t allow himself the thoughts of crossing those lines. He couldn’t.

They sat there for a few minutes, unknowingly soaking up each other’s company, before they suddenly heard a knock on the door. The two shared a puzzled look.

_Can’t be a walker_ , Rick thought as he pushed himself up and grabbed his gun. The sound of another click informed him that Carl was holding up his as well.

The alpha peaked through the viewfinder and felt relief course through his entire body. Laughing he fell back to the couch, aware of his son’s stare.

“What?”

Rick couldn’t help the smile on his face, “It’s for you.”

_Michonne will help. She’ll be able to help Carl through his changes and keep me from getting too close_. Since Michonne was a beta he didn’t have to worry about her effecting Carl or vice versa.

When they finally got the door opened, Rick greeted Michonne with a huge hug and a smile. Well as much as his body was able to physically take.

“Ow! Be careful there. I’m injured,” He laughed. The beta returned his hug with a smile. She then moved to hug Carl but paused as she smelled him.

“Yeah, I’m an omega,” A blush painted across the omega’s freckles.

Michonne gave him a look that was colored with fondness. “You could never do things the easy way, huh kid?”

The teen ducked his head down and Rick felt a wave of affection for his boy.

“We have food. I could find some water so you can clean up,” Carl offered.

“That’s probably for the best. I need to look at your old man’s injuries,” Michonne eyed Rick.

“Go easy on me,” Rick responded as Carl left. He pushed down that small inner voice that worried about Carl being out of his sight. _He can handle himself_.

Once the teen was out of earshot, Michonne turned to Rick. Her eyes said it all, “An omega?”

“Yeah it’s not normal. I’m not sure if the virus had something to do with it or if he was always gonna be an omega.”

“That’s going to complicate things.”

“I know,” the alpha responded. “Do me a favor, if you go out looking for supplies keep an eye out for suppressants for him…and for me.”

The look she gave him was telling. “Are you that worried Rick? About yourself I mean.”

He lowered himself back on the couch and allowed his head to fall back against it.

“Honestly Michonne I don’t know. You probably already noticed our scents have mixed. I don’t…”

“You don’t want to make it a possibility that you might mate with your own teenage son.” Her words were blunt and Rick couldn’t help but flinch at them.

He ended up clenching his fists. “I can’t let that be in the realm of possibility. With suppressants Carl can be protected for a while. I don’t know what’ll happen in the future.”

Suppressants had shelf lives, like most everything, and with no more pharmaceutical companies making new medications they would have to find some alternative.

The look she gave him was saturated in worry but held no judgment. For that he couldn’t help but be grateful.

Michonne gingerly took a seat next to him on the couch. “Luckily for you my boyfriend’s sister was one of those nature loving, organic alternatives kind of woman. She was also an omega nurse. I picked up a few things about natural suppressants from her.”

She had a wistful smile on her face. “At the time I thought it was dumb. Guess she’ll end up having the last laugh about that.”

“Will you,” Rick started, “Will you talk to him a bit? I don’t know much about omegas. He found a book which I’m going to read as well but he might feel more comfortable talking to someone who isn’t related to him.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” She got up and stretched. “Let me help him with the water so we can you cleaned and bandaged. Then you need to rest some more.”

As the day passed, the three of them settled into a calm routine. Both of the Grimes men were only too happy to allow Michonne to lead them for a bit, especially regarding some things about the house. The combed through the house again to make sure they didn’t overlook anything that could be of use. New clothes were sorted out for all of them.

Then Michonne ordered Rick upstairs to rest in the master bedroom. He protested of course but she was ready for him.

“It may be a long time before we find another clean bed like this and you need to rest,” She told him firmly. Rick finally gave in and headed upstairs to the bed, mostly to stop Michonne from glaring, and certainly not because Carl was giving him puppy dog eyes. (And he certainly was _not_ going to admit how effective those puppy dog eyes were on him.)

Luckily the weather was starting to cool down so the house wasn’t as hot as it could have been. Rick did his best to not over tax his body. Towards the evening Michonne came in to the bedroom and shut the door behind her.

“So I’ve talked to Carl a bit,” She began. “Carl is feeling okay but I’m a little worried about his health. He said the pain he experienced last night wasn’t too bad and he is still feeling some discomfort.”

Rick immediately felt guilty for neglecting to ask Carl about his pain.

“Why is it a bad thing he wasn’t in too much pain?”

“From what I’ve heard, the changes for a newly presented male omega can be particularly bad. I’ve never seen it but I’ve heard horror stories. Since Carl’s pain wasn’t so bad, I can only assume it means there is something different about his biology.”

Her words posed so many questions. They would have to find someone with more specialized omega medical knowledge to check Carl out and the chances of that happening where slim to none.

“We also had a little awkward talk about boys and girls.”

The alpha raised his eyebrow at that.

Michonne shrugged. “He admitted that he has liked a girl and boy before.”

Now that was a surprise. He had known that Carl had a crush on Beth at one point but when had his son developed a crush on a boy?

“Which boy?” He asked trying to rack his brain for possibilities. If he felt a tiny splinter of jealousy in the back of his mind, he ignored it.

“Does it really matter?” The beta replied.

“I guess not.” _Even if I’m curious to know what boy managed to capture Carl’s attention_.

“Carl’s been reading that book he found which should help, even if it’s a little dated. I found this for you.” She handed him a paperback book titled _Parents and Teenagers going through the dynamic change_. Rick couldn’t hide his snort of amusement.

“Hey, you never know it may help,” Michonne walked back towards the door. “The thing is Rick, I am a bit worried about you and Carl.”

Rick looked up from where he had been reading the back of the book.

“You’re the only biological family you guys have left. It’s understandable that your connection with each other is deeper than a father and son’s should be. Well at least a father and son in today’s world. Don’t be ashamed of that connection.” She left and Rick sat silently looking down at his hands.

_You’re family too Michonne but you may be right to be worried about me and Carl_.

The next morning a gentle hand shook him awake. A quick whiff of lavender let him know who it was taking him up. Judging by the light he had probably slept in a bit but couldn’t bring himself to feel too guilty about it. He hadn’t quite realized how much he missed sleeping on a real mattress.

“I’m awake Carl,” his voice was still rough from sleep. A small smile lit up his son’s face and even Rick was helpless against it.

“You need to eat. Michonne told me to come and wake you and see if you needed any help.”

The alpha tried not to be offended at that. He managed to push himself up and stretch his muscles a bit, pointedly ignoring that the omega was watching him.

“What do we have to eat? Rick asked as he hobbled towards the bathroom.

“There’s still some cereal left.”

When Carl didn’t continue, the alpha went to the bathroom. He came out thinking that the teen had probably gone back downstairs. As he reached the top of the stairs, he glanced back into the open door of the master bedroom which gave him a perfect view of the bed he had been sleeping on.

Carl had crawled into the bed and lay on it with his face lying on the exact pillow Rick had been sleeping on.

_He’s taking in my scent_.

Even from where he was it was clear the boy was enjoying rubbing the alpha’s scent on his face and neck. Rick’s first impulse was to call out to omega but he wavered. Calling the boy out might be embarrassing for both of them, instead Rick continued down the stairs hoping the noise would dislodge Carl from his stupor.

Halfway down the stairs he could hear the sound of footsteps moving from one room to another. The alpha allowed a small huff of relief.

_Well there’s one awkward conversation avoided_.

Once in the kitchen, he began to take inventory of what was there. Faintly he could hear Carl come back downstairs and in a few minutes could hear the teen talking with Michonne.

They were definitely going to need more food, enough for two adults and a teenage boy for several days. He tried to ignore the fact that perhaps he wanted to make sure the omega had plenty to eat.

The indistinct conversation of the omega and the beta in the next room barely registered to Rick until he heard Carl laugh. It was a beautiful sound; one the alpha had greatly missed hearing. Suddenly though the laughter was cut short and he could hear Carl make his way back upstairs.

Michonne then shuffled into the kitchen.

Rick broke the silence first, “Thank you. I heard him laughing in there. Almost forgot what that sounded like.”

He hasn’t laughed for me in a while.

“I can’t be his father and his best friend. He needs you. I know that’s a lot to throw at you, especially after yesterday. So if you’re every feeling like you need a break…”

“I’m done taking breaks,” She cut in. Etched in her features was a seriousness that even he could not argue with.

“So what’s the plan? This place, is it home or just a stop along the way?” She asked.

Rick was unsure of the answer. “Well, let’s—let’s just stay here while we figure it out.”

_Carl needs to stay inside a house for a while, at least until his changes are done and maybe after we find some suppressants for him_.

It was plain that the thing with Carl and his scent on the bed was probably due to the fact that Carl’s body hadn’t yet settled into its changes.

“Well, we’ll need more supplies .I’ll with go with Carl and get some,” The beta began to walk out the door when Rick stopped her.

“I’ll come, too.” _I can’t let Carl out of my sight_.

“You were unconscious yesterday.”

The alpha felt a small wedge of anger at her words, “I’m awake today.”

“We need you strong. Just rest. Just one more day.” Her eyes never left Rick’s and ultimately he understood that she was not implying he was weak. She was correctly telling him that he still needed to heal in order to better protect himself and Carl. Without saying anything he nodded in agreement.

_But the omega_ , his mind sent worry scurrying across his body. Nervously tapping his fingers against his holster, an idea crept upon him.

As Michonne and Carl got ready to leave, Rick moved the sofa out of the way and watched them go out on the porch.

“How long do you think you’ll be?”

“Fill a couple bags, shouldn’t be too long,” Michonne responded.

He pulled out the small gold watch. “It’s 8:15 now.”

“We’ll be back by noon.”

Rick pulled out his gun and address Carl, “All right, you follow her lead. You understand?”

Giving the gun a quick once over, he handed it to his son. Warmth flooded him when the omega took it without question. At least some part of the alpha would be there to help protect the teen. Carl remained unusually silent.

“Hey,” Rick prompted softly, “Everything okay?”

Carl returned softly, “Yeah, I’m just…hungry.”

Both adults could see through the lie but neither called the boy out on it. With everything that happened, Rick couldn’t really blame him for wanting to keep quiet about his feelings. As they turned to leave, the alpha automatically reached out and touched Carl’s shoulder to scent mark the boy.

_Shit I got to learn to control myself better_ , the older man thought as he climbed back up the stairs. After checking his bandages, he changed into the clothes Michonne had set up for him. Curling up with the book, he allowed himself indulge the softness of the comfortable bed. In time he drifted off to sleep comforted by the warm combination of his own scent mixed with the lavender scent that belonged to Carl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think. Chapter 4 may be slightly delayed but I'll try not to take too long with it. Thank you everybody for your amazing comments and kudos!


	4. Chapter 4: Carl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carl learns more about Michonne and about himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some discussing of mpreg in this chapter.

Mentally Carl was prepared to go out on a run. That itching desire to continue to search for food still gnawed at him. He wasn’t prepared though for his dad to touch his neck again and he did his best to suppress the shiver that ran up his spine.

_I…don’t know what to think anymore_.

Ever since that morning his thoughts had been a jumble of different feelings. He missed Judith. That sorrow still weighed heavily on him. Now he also had all the confusion of trying to navigate being an omega on top of his mourning.

Something had changed though. There was a strange tension between him and his father that hadn’t been there before. It was odd because Carl now felt more comfortable than ever in his dad’s presence.

Michonne appeared to know a bit more about omegas and he was grateful when, the day before, she had started talking to him about his changes. Although some of the conversations were a bit humiliating.

“It’s okay to be embarrassed Carl. I’m sure a lot of male omegas went through the same thing,” She explained as she washed her shirt in a bathtub.

“I mean I knew I liked guys too but it’s weird to think that there’s going to be a guy out there who will…” Carl trailed off. He knew his cheeks were probably bright red thanks to his pale complexion. He knew basic mechanics of sex but had no real practical experience other than touching himself.

“Don’t stress too much about it. You have plenty of time to figure it all out. Now go get me a hanger for my shirt.” She had reached out and tapped the top of his hat. As he left he inhaled her rosemary scent, surprised to find that it was slightly clearer to him now than it had been before.

As they walked towards their first destination he could occasionally feel her eyes on him. Carl couldn’t help but feel slightly exasperated at the way she seemed to watch his father’s and his interactions with clear keen eyes. But maybe her watching was warranted given his reaction to his father’s hand on his skin.

He was glad that Michonne had said nothing, even if she had noticed his physical reaction to the alpha’s touch. Their discussion at the dining room table that morning hadn’t been unpleasant but it felt odd to laugh at her jokes so soon after such terrible events.

_Maybe there are more survivors from the prison out there looking for us_.

Despite that small bit of optimism, he couldn’t bring himself to hope that maybe somehow Judith had survived. He couldn’t allow that hope to sink too deeply as it would hurt all the more worse if they never met up with any other survivors.

“Let’s just go house by house,” Michonne ordered, her voice breaking him from his thoughts.

Carl acknowledged her with a nod and followed along. They were both pleasantly surprised to find that the first house still had a fair amount of things including bags and food.

Michonne tiptoed around him without saying much. The omega was grateful for that. He wasn’t really in the mood to chatter. Not to mention he was also still smarting from his embarrassing episode with the bed from earlier.

_I know it’s part of my biology but what if Dad saw me_?

He tried to suppress his blush at the thought of his father witnessing what he had done on the bed. The book clear stated that newly presented omega’s did enjoy scenting alphas, usually familial alphas.

Still it had been a particularly weird moment. After watching his dad leave the room he took in a deep breath of the heady scent of pine. Before he knew what he was doing, he had fallen into the bed and shoved his face into his father’s pillow to chase more of that comforting scent.

Thankfully his dad had gone downstairs and the creaking of the floorboards had snapped Carl out of his stupor. He scrambled into the boys room and paced back and forth to try to alleviate his embarrassed flush; which he was sure covered his face and neck.

Pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind, he filled his newly scrounged duffle bag with food. Every new can or bag made him feel happy.

As they finished up with the first house, he followed Michonne at the door. He was careful to stay a step behind as she went out to make sure the coast was clear.

“You were right about this town being deserted,” She commented as Carl closed the door behind him.

Michonne attempted to engage him in a conversation as they walked to the next house.

“You don’t seem fine,” She declared after he gave her a halfhearted, “I’m fine.”

I’m just tired. Okay?” He replied.

“I don’t suppose you want to continue our awkward conversation from yesterday do you?”

Fighting the blush he answered, “Not really.” He kept walking towards the second house. Yesterday had been different. Overwhelmed by his feelings of relief that Michonne was not only alive but had someone manage to find them, he had opened up to her questions. Today though, he just felt emotionally drained.

“You know there’s no shame in liking both,” She called out to him.

That stopped him. “I…I know that. But it’s…I mean…I…” He couldn’t finish what he meant.

The beta stepped up next to him. She was very careful not touch him, but her proximity somehow helped calm him down.

“Listen most omega males are usually gay or bi. You’re not a kid anymore. You were bound to start thinking about these things sooner or later.”

_Yeah but it’s weird when you can’t get your dad’s scent out of your head_.

Afraid that she could somehow hear his thoughts he sighed, “I just don’t know how I feel about all of this. I mean I can…it’s possible for me…to have kids.”

“Welcome to how most girls and male omegas feel after they present. It’s odd knowing that you can’t control what your body is going to put you through. It’s happened for thousands of years, Carl. Granted you no longer have the comfort of dealing with it in a secure environment. But your dad and I, we’re going to protect you as best we can.”

The omega consumed her words, knowing the weight the beta was putting behind that declaration.

“Not that you really need our help,” She continued, “Your dad told me about your little adventure yesterday.”

Carl couldn’t help but give her a small smile at that. “It wasn’t very smart.”

“Probably not but I’m not surprised to hear that you kicked butt,” Michonne’s smile was glowing like had been this morning.

“Hey Michonne?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think…that one day I’ll find an alpha and have kids of my own?”

The beta froze completely. “Honestly Carl I don’t know. I find it hard to trust any person, much less allow an alpha to claim you. I’m willing to bet your father feels the same. I mean you’re not my son but I feel responsible for you.”

The sentiment was genuine and the omega ducked his head and toyed with the brim of his hat to hide his embarrassed pleasure.

“Anyways you’ll never guess what I found?” Michonne asked in an attempt to change the subject.

“What?”

She reached into the duffle bag and pulled a can out.

“Bam! Crazy cheese!” Her grin lit up her entire face.

“Found it still sealed and everything. Now I’ll be nice and let you have the first pull.”

Carl racked his brain but found that he couldn’t remember what crazy cheese tasted like. Not feeling up to trying something new he courteously responded with a “No, thanks.”

This lead to Michonne, unsuccessfully, trying to make Carl laugh. After her failed attempts they fell back into an awkward silence until the beta confessed, “I had a three-year old son and he happened to find me extremely funny.”

_Wait, she had a son? A baby?_ The thought was jarring.

It had been common knowledge around the prison that no one knew much of Michonne’s past. Carl wasn’t even sure his dad knew much about her and she was probably closest to him out of everyone.

The beta lead him into the second house and enticed him into a little game in order to gain information. Forgetting about his sadness and anxiety, his curiosity got the better of him and he followed her instructions.

The house at first didn’t yield much to help him on his mission. Eventually he began to find small things and was rewarded with glimpses into the beta’s life before the end of the world.

“His name was Andre Anthony.”

_That’s such a nice name._

As they moved into the hallway it became apparent that his questions were becoming more difficult for the beta to answer.

“How long has it been?”

He knew that this question would be the most difficult to answer but she did. Her voice got softer but she still seemed to hold herself up. The admiration he held for the beta grew even more.

“Does my dad know?”

“Never told him. Never told anyone till just now,” she admitted.

The omega almost reached out to hug her but somehow felt that it wouldn’t be right to do so at that moment. _Later_ , he told himself.

“Your secret is safe with me.”

“It’s not really a secret,” She protested.

“It’s still safe with me,” his response was firm and allowed for no arguments. It was a secret especially if he was the first to know and that was a responsibility he was going to live up to. Leaving the beta in the hallway he began to check another bedroom but his mind continued to stray back to the new information.

_I can understand why she doesn’t really want to tell anyone. It must be…it’s hard to lose a baby_.

Not that Judith had been his but her absence left a hole in heart that he wasn’t sure he could ever fill.

_But one day I might have kids of my own_. Yet that thought felt strange. Would it really be fair to have a child in the world they lived in? Their lives were so difficult and having a baby would always add more complications.

_Andre is such a nice name though_.

For some reason the silence throughout the house alerted him that something was off. Realizing that Michonne hadn’t followed him, he went looking for her and found her in the room at the end of the hall. Something had made the warmth drain from her face and she quickly closed a second door barring him from seeing what was inside.

Carl could only think of one thing that would cause a reaction like that. “There’s a baby in there.”

“It’s a dog.” The lie was as clear as day but the omega found he didn’t want to press her for the truth.

“My dad let me name her. Maybe—maybe her and Andre are together somewhere.”

It was a small comfort and it probably wouldn’t help but it was all Carl could give. Michonne’s responding smile was strained but sincere.

“Come on. It’s almost noon. Your dad will wonder where we are if we’re late.”

They went through the kitchen and were able to find a few things. As they were preparing to leave the house, the beta stopped and turned to look at him.

“Carl,” Her voice was soft and hesitant. “Have you read in your book about omega reproduction?”

Startled by the random question, he blinked up at her. “There were pages on it but I, sort of, skipped them to read later.”

Something reflected in her eyes and a look of resignation on her face seemed to drag her body down.

“I guess I should talk to you about that before we go back to your father.”

“What why?” Carl asked bewildered.

She stood still and took a deep breath. “Carl, male omegas are not like female omegas. They always have a cesarean in order to have children.”

“A cesarean, like…” Carl could feel the blood drain from his face. His legs began to shake so he jerked down into the nearest chair. His mind whirled and he began to tremble all over.

“Breathe, Carl.” Michonne instructed. “I felt you needed to know given…” Her voice trailed off. The only sound that could be heard in the abandoned living room was the omega’s harsh breaths.

_Mom_.

“How,” his voice broke, “How does it work?”

“It’s always been said that omega biology is still one of the great mysteries of life. Apparently male omegas develop a temporary womb and are impregnated during heats. When it’s time for the omega’s to deliver, they are…” Her voice got softer. “They are cut in very specific places and the baby and temporary womb are removed.”

“Don’t they die from the wounds?” His voice was barely above a whisper.

“That’s the thing of it, after giving ‘birth’ omega’s bodies somehow heal themselves about three times faster than normal human healing. No one really knows how it works. It’s something special they develop in their blood during the pregnancy. It then disappears after the birth. Midwives learned very quickly that if they cut in the right spots and sewed the wound right, most male omegas had no problems recovering from the incision.”

He could still see the dirty knife contrasted against his mother’s pale skin. He could still smell the metallic scent of blood as it spread across the floor. Her screams still echoed in his ears.

_Mom was just a regular female beta. She…she didn’t have the benefit of faster healing_.

His stomach turned and he bent over afraid he was going to vomit. Michonne quickly made him down a bottle of water and gently rubbed his back.

“How did you know?”

The beta didn’t have to ask what he meant. “Maggie told me one day when she was feeling depressed. Thought it would help if she got it off her chest.”

A wave of compassion went out for his friend. He had no clue if she was still alive or not but he had never blamed Maggie for what had happened. She had done the best she could given the circumstances.

“Thank you,” He finally said after a long time.

She nodded. “You needed to know and I wanted to make sure I was there when you did.”

Without really thinking about it, Carl got up and wrapped his arms around the beta. He buried his face in her new shirt, trying to fight back tears.

_I thought I didn’t have any more tears left to cry_.

Once he had calmed down, they picked up their bags and began walking back to the house were his alpha was resting.

_She’s right though. I needed to know. I don’t know if I want to have children now_. _It seems so unfair for me to have them when she…_.

Nonetheless he had no idea what would happen in the future. For now he felt an all-consuming need to be by his alpha’s side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For some reason the flow of this chapter seems off to me. I may go back and re-edit but for now I wanted you guys to have something to enjoy. 
> 
> Next chapter: The claimers are coming ya'll.


	5. Chapter 5: Rick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick meets the claimers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting closer and closer to "A" which I think will be my favorite part. This chapter ends slightly awkwardly but will go straight into chapter 6.

A loud shout and bang woke Rick from his pleasant nap. Dazed with sleep it took him a moment to comprehend that there were men in the house, unfriendly ones if the scream from a helpless man was any indication.

His fingers reached for his revolver before remembering that he had given it to his son. Scrambling for his stuff, the alpha slid under the bed and waited.

A man made his way into the room checking it. Afraid that he would be scented in his hiding spot, Rick did his best to not make any noise. Blood splattered the man’s muddy shoes and the smell coming off him was a myriad of blood, dirt, and traces of a beta in fear.

_That must be the man I heard screaming_ , he thought.

The alpha resolved himself to fight if he had to in order to escape.

_I can’t leave Carl alone in this world_.

Sweat dripped from Rick’s forehead until the man made himself comfortable on the bed, apparently unaware that there was someone else in the room. It dawned on Rick that his man had to have been a beta.

Another alpha would have been more aware of the lingering scent of alpha and omega that still permeated the sheets. Luckily though Rick had left a window cracked open so perhaps their scents had been aired out of the room. Whatever the case was, Rick was grateful that so far he remained hidden.

He could hear noises that continued to worry him. These men were tough and dangerous and in his weakened state, wasn’t sure he would survive a direct encounter with them.

_Not to mention that Michonne and Carl are due to come back at any time_. _No!_ His brain immediately snapped at him. He had to get out to warn them, to protect them.

More footsteps came into the room awaking the first man from his nap.

_Another beta_ , Rick listened as they argued. The verbal arguing quickly became a physical fight. When the second beta was shoved down to the ground and saw him, Rick knew he was shaking. Adrenaline surged, preparing him for fight or flight.

_This is it_.

But a stroke of luck was with him and the first beta continued to strangle the second man to unconsciousness, completely unaware about the darker man’s attempts to tell him that he had seen Rick.

Giving silent thanks, he continued to wait as the first beta left his opponent on the ground and burrowed back into the bed. Once Rick was sure that the beta was in a deep enough sleep he slid quietly from under the bed.

_I got to get Carl and Michonne as far away from these men as I can_.

He moved as quietly as was possible but still ended up having to duck into the boy’s room and into the bed alcove. Heavy footsteps came into the room and with small silent breath; Rick realized that this man was an alpha. Something was off though. The alpha should have sniffed Rick out the moment he stepped in the room.

“This room smells good,” the man said out loud as he continued to bounce the tennis ball off the windows. Abruptly the alpha paused and began to sniff the air. Holding the trophy up, Rick prepared for a fight when noise from downstairs startled both of them.

“There’s a woman shacking up in here,” one of the men shouted downstairs.

Rick could hear the alpha and the beta from the bedroom make their way back downstairs.

“Oh, you found a shirt? She could be miles away by now,” the deeper voice of the alpha rang out.

“I thought I smelled something sweet. Could be she’s an omega or she has an omega with her, I think. Damn my sniffer. If only I hadn’t done so much coke back in the day I could smell them out easier,” the voice, which had to be from the alpha continued. “If there is an omega I claim them. Male or female. You dumbfuck betas don’t deserve a pretty omega.”

Taking the opportunity, Rick tried to sneak away but was distracted by the sight of the gun.

_If I could only get it_.

But the sound one of the beta’s coming back up the stairs forced him to move back into the bathroom. He was shocked by the sight of another beta who had been sitting on the toilet seat. Rick pounded the beta with the trophy but lacked the strength to do any major damage.

With the words of the rival alpha still resonating in his ears, Rick struggled to gain the upper hand with the beta.

_You can’t have him_!

The possessive thought sent a flood of adrenaline through him and he was finally able to strangle the beta. After making sure the man was dead, a plan formed in the alpha’s mind.

Finding that the bathroom window would open, he left the door cracked open then silently crawled out onto the roof. He took the beta’s gun and jacket, hoping that mixtures of their scents would throw the men off his trail if they came looking for him.

He landed on wobbly feat but kept the gun up in case someone heard him. Silently stalking around the house towards the road, he ducked down when he heard someone come outside and sit on the porch. It was the alpha eating from one of the cans.

Looking around the house, he could see Carl and Michonne in the distance.

_No! I’ve got to shoot this guy before he notices them. If we run then maybe we can lose them_.

Few precious seconds ticked away as Rick prepared to push his body up to attack. Gunshots and shouts instead distracted the alpha and just in time to. Another few seconds and the alpha would have seen Carl and Michonne.

Rick’s plan had worked. The beta-turned-walker he killed had probably stumbled out into the house and caused chaos among the men. Hopefully the distraction would hold until he could get his beta and omega as far away from here as possible.

The alpha sprinted towards his family motioning at them to run.

“Go! Go!” He whispered as loudly as he dared. Both Carl and Michonne knew enough to immediately obey Rick’s orders and all three of them took off.

Rick grabbed a bag from Carl and grabbed a hold of his arm in order to pull him along faster. Time surged past them as they fun until finally Rick deemed it safe for them to pause to catch their breath.

“What happened?” Carl asked with wide eyes.

Rick explained what happened feeling guilty that he had left behind the supplies Carl had gathered.

“It’s okay, dad,” The omega bent his head down at an angle and instinctively Rick reached out to touch the presented skin. Whether it was comfort the omega or to bring himself comfort, Rick wasn't sure. His son made no move to dislodge him.

“We need to follow the train tracks and see if we find another town. Maybe find some shelter for the night.” He finally removed his hand and did his best to ignore the uneasy look Michonne gave him.

Late in the afternoon as the light was beginning to fade they found the boxcar with a map on it.

_Terminus_? Rick studied the map and the inscribed message. Something about it seemed shady.

“What do you think?” Michonne asked him.

_If anyone else from the prison survived they may be heading in this direction_.

“Let’s go,” the alpha ordered.

_Maybe we’ll meet someone on the way_.

He had to continue to hope that everything would be okay. That night they stayed at a warehouse near the tracks. As they began to settle down, Michonne pulled out something from her bag.

“By the way Rick I found something for Carl.” The beta gently tossed something at him and Rick caught it.

“I’ll let you explain those to your son. Good night gentlemen.” She rolled over and settled down into her jacket.

In his hand Rick held a bottle of unexpired pills, suppressants for omegas. Well now it was time for another awkward conversation between them.

“Are those…” Carl started.

“Yeah,” Rick answered a bit too quickly. “It’s not really ideal for you to be starting on them so soon after you’ve presented but…” His voice trailed off into an uncomfortable silence.

“You don’t want to risk me going into…heat,” Carl stuttered. Even in the dark Rick knew his son was probably glowing with embarrassment.

“I’m sorry things have to be this way Carl. If there was any other way around it…”

“It’s okay dad. I mean after reading that book, I figured this was what we were gonna have to do.” Carl wasted no time in opening the pill bottle. Rick handed him a water bottle to help him swallow down the, fairly sizeable pill.

“We’ll need to keep our eyes out for more. They won’t last forever though. Michonne says she knows of some natural ingredients that can be used and hopefully those will work.”

“Will there be side effects?”

“It should be anything too major. I think I can remember there may be some nausea and dizziness but if those are the only things you suffer from I think we can consider ourselves lucky.”

Rick didn’t say out loud what he was really thinking.

_Once you’re on suppressants your hormone levels should even out. You won’t continue to unconsciously taunt me with your scent. Maybe it’ll help you stop baring your neck to me. I’m not sure how much more of that I can take._

“I’ll take first watch. You go ahead and get some sleep.”

Mile by mile they spent the next few days walking the tracks towards Terminus. They frequently stopped to gather what supplies they could but Rick was hesitant to stray too far from the tracks. Often the only shelter they could find were abandoned cars.

Michonne and Rick did their best to watch Carl’s behavior as they traveled. The alpha came to the conclusion had decided that something was wrong with the suppressants. While the omega’s scent was not as robust, his actions hadn’t appeared to change very much.

Carl was sitting closer to his father, always so close but not quite touching. Still that pale neck was often bent at an angle that tempted Rick so much.

_One mark_. It would only take one dark mark upon the junction where neck met shoulder that would ward off any rivals who would dare to try taking away what was his.

As if sensing his thoughts, Michonne would usually lightly touch his arm to break him from his contemplations. If he noticed that the omega’s bright blue eyes would often follow the beta’s hand during these exchanges, he did his best to disregard him.

Michonne was doing her best to help. She understood, better than Rick, Carl’s impulses and usually helped head off Carl when she could. Her presence had a calming effect on both father and son.

Usually they walked with two of them together and one walking father up front as a guard. The formation helped head off most of the rare walkers they came across. Deciding to rotate who walked in front it gave all of them a chance to talk to each other.

During one such rotation with Carl, Rick decided it was time to broach a sensitive topic with his son and hope for the best.

“Hey Carl,” Rick started. “You don’t have to answer this unless you want to. Michonne told me you had crushes on someone in the prison. I remember you having a crush on Beth but who was the other person?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to apologize as I feel like my grammar is getting worse as I try to write fast. Starting this Friday I will probably be able to post for nearly two weeks so I'm going to try to get the next few chapters up as soon as I can. Thank you again everyone for all of your amazing comments and kudos!


	6. Chapter 6: Carl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carl and his dad have an awkward but important conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in a day! You're welcome.

Carl’s nearly stumbled at his dad’s question. He had known his dad was going to ask sooner or later but he had secretly hoped for never.

“Uh, well, for a while after Beth I did have a crush on someone else.”

“Why did you stop liking Beth?”

It was a reasonable question but Carl was still embarrassed at his response.

“She was kind of annoying after a while,” Carl scratched at his nose as he answered.

His dad gave a snort of laughter and the omega felt the tension slowly ebb from his body.

“How quick did you make this judgment about poor Beth?”

“I liked her for a while but it was after…well, after Judith was born that I got over it,” He admitted.

The silence between them was stagnant and after a while his dad spoke again.

“Was there someone else at the prison that caught your eye? I mean I know there weren’t many kids your age.”

_Well he really wants to know_. Carl could still feel the heat of embarrassment though present on his cheeks. Bowing his head he responded, “Um, Zach.”

The young omega bowed his head once more but this time responded, “Um, Zach.”

A quick glance at his father revealed surprise in those clear blue eyes.

“Beth’s boyfriend Zach?”

Carl nodded his head still unsure if he should elaborate. It felt weird to talk to his dad about a crush he once had on a boy.

“Yeah. Before he and Beth started ‘dating’, Zach spent some time hanging out with me and Patrick. I think he just liked the attention Patrick gave him.”

A small half smiled pulled at his dad’s lips. “I can relate to that. Patrick worshipped everyone at some point.”

_I miss him_. Carl still felt pangs of sorrow sometimes when he thought about his best friend. Only a year older then him, Patrick had been just the thing Carl had been lacking in his life. He was someone to be silly with but also someone who made no demands on him. In fact Patrick always seemed to look up to Carl, which truth be told, made the omega feel important. Like he was a leader just like his dad.

“That kid seemed to have a new hero every time I turned around.”

A small laugh almost left Carl’s lips. “Yeah he liked to go on about you and Daryl a lot. And Carol and Michonne too. He just thought you were all so cool and he wanted to be like you when he got older. I guess that’s why he joined Carl’s training group with the other kids.”

“I remember Patrick tried following me around for a while until you got him to stop. He was a good kid though.”

A noise from their right distracted them. They both froze, Michonne as well, and held up their weapons raised. A lone walker ambled out with its arms outstretched. Quickly Carl watched his dad take care of it with his knife before placing his hand on the omega’s back to gently push him forward.

Silence reigned again.

“So about Zach…”

Internally Carl sighed. _He’s not gonna let it go_.

“There’s not much else to tell dad. Zach was cool but then he and Beth got together and we didn’t see much of him after that.”

The older teen had sort of hung out with Carl and Patrick after his group was taken in. Once Daryl started taking Zach on runs, he started to ignore Carl and Patrick like he was too cool for them after hanging out with Daryl.

Carl would remember the visible disappointment on Patrick’s face when Zach had officially abandoned their company.

The conversation ceased for a while. The weather had cooled a bit and Carl could see some trees trying to change color. He had no idea what month it was but it had to be fall getting close to winter. Some part of him wondered if they would find a place to shelter for the winter. Last year’s plan of moving from place to place hadn’t worked so well.

Something then caught in his brain from a conversation they had a few days ago.

“Dad, could I ask you something?”

“Sure,” his dad continued to walk with his eyes continually checking their surroundings.

“You said before you had dated an omega girl before mom. What was that like?”

There was only a small pause.

“Well your mom and I got married in college before I went to the police academy. In high school I dated a girl named Marie. She was an omega and, well to be honest, I thought I was going to bond with her. Her parents didn’t approve of me though and they ended up moving out of state in order to get her away from me.”

Carl looked up at his dad in amazement. “They left the state to stop you two from bonding?”

“To be fair they moved to Louisiana so it wasn’t that big of a move.” Humor colored his father’s voice.

“Then you met mom?”

“Yeah and we got married after dating for about two years.”

“So,” Carl paused, “You don’t know how it feels to be bonded?” The alpha shook his head.

“Nope. Since your mother was a beta we couldn’t really bond in the same way alphas and omegas can. At first it wasn’t a big deal…” The older man’s voice trailed off. It didn’t take Carl very long to figure out his dad was hesitant to talk about his relationship with Lori.

“I knew you guys had some problems before the accident. I remember those fights,” The omega’s voice got soft as if was ashamed of retaining those memories.

_I remember some of the things she said_.

It wasn’t a memory Carl liked to recall very often. He preferred to think of his mother as the brave woman who did her best to care and teach him in those days when the dead had begun to walk.

His father tugged at his tangled curls, clearly uncomfortable with the direction of their discussion.

Realizing that a change of subject would be best, Carl thought of something else he had wanted to ask his dad.

“Could you tell me a bit more about how the dynamics work? I can’t really remember that much about them. There was this one kid who use to brag that when he grew up he was going to be the strongest alpha in the world.”

That made his dad chuckle deep in his throat.

“Well we know what his parents were like. In most cases alphas don’t have any trouble getting along with each other unless they are fighting for the affections of the same omega. Sure there can be territorial disputes but before the walkers those weren’t really much of a problem. Probably since we weren’t living to survive alphas living in modern times could relax more in the shared areas. Betas made up the highest concentration in the population, followed by alphas, then omegas. I remember that from the yearly report we’d get in the precinct every January. There seemed to be fewer and fewer male omegas every year.”

_I wonder_ …

“What about you and…,” Carl licked his lips before he continued, “Shane?”

The alpha visibly hesitated.

“Well you probably remember that Shane and I were best friends since we were kids. When we were growing up we both kind of assumed that I would be a beta when I presented. There wasn’t anything about me that was particularly alpha like. Shane always knew he would be an alpha from the very beginning. Sometimes I wonder if he didn’t make himself an alpha by sheer force of will.”

That Carl could understand. Shane was always so gentle with him but even Carl could see that there was something always lurking beneath Shane’s eyes that always seemed to be trying to claw its way out.

His dad continued. “It was a huge surprise to us both when I presented as an alpha. We both were kind of worried that it was going to affect our relationship but it turned out okay. We ended up working well together, often switching who was in lead for different cases. Shane did have some problems controlling his dominance but he could be caring when he needed to be.”

The alpha’s blue eyes seem to glaze over in memory. Carl realized that it was probably best to stop there for today.

“Thank you for telling me dad.”

As night came upon them and they made a small camp it became apparent that they did not have enough food to last them for another two days. Rick implemented a ration system and promised they would go out looking for food at first light.

There wasn’t really much to be had in the small town they found that the tracks ran though. Walkers kept them from the most promising spots and most of what they did find was expired.

Eventually they lost sight of the buildings again and walked the tracks. At some point it was his father’s turn to walk up front, leaving Carl and Michonne to stay together.

Suddenly the beta looked at Carl and said, “Betcha a candy bar I can walk on the rails father than you without falling off.”

Carl narrowed his eyes at her. “You’re on.”

They went slowly trying to prove the other wrong.

“I think we got about a day's worth of water left. We're lucky it's cooled off a little bit, but...” they could hear Rick’s voice but were partially ignoring it.

Glancing up, Carl could see his father looking at them with a fond look of exasperation. The omega couldn’t help but bask in that look. He forced his concentration down, determined to not fail in front of the alpha.

“What are you doing?” The alpha drawled.

“Winning a bet,” Carl responded.

“In your dreams,” Michonne grinned.

The omega wobbled a bit. “I’m still on.”

Sneakily though Carl attempted to throw Michonne off balance by throwing his arm at her but only succeeded in making himself more unsteady.

“Spoke too soon, wise guy,” The beta cackled.

The sound of footsteps let them know that Rick had some up to join them.

“This might on a while. Maybe we can speed this up?”

“Yeah, you’re right. Shouldn’t be fooling around…”

_She’s not fooling me_ , Carl thought.

“We should probably—Carl!” The beta’s attempt to startle the omega backfired and she fell of the rail on to her feet.

“I win. Pay up,” Carl hoped off his rail triumphant.

As Michonne offered him the candy, he knew pretty quickly which one he wanted. Watching her disappointment struck a nerve in him so he offered her half of the candy. Her grin was brilliant and as he threw the candy wrapper on the ground, the omega felt the warmth of his father’s hand on his neck.

His eyes grew heavy at the gently touch and he resisted the urge to lean into his father’s body. Just a quickly the hand was removed and it was all Carl could do not to whine in disappointment.

_Stop it Carl. Just stop_.

But Carl wasn’t even sure he could stop when he was still unsure what was happening between his father and himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always I appreciate your comments.


	7. Chapter 7: Rick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The claimers come in the night and things change forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look what I managed to finish today! Be advised that many of the warnings have changed as well as the rating.

Rick could feel the glow of happiness as his son graciously shared the candy bar with Michonne. A stronger part of him though wished that Carl would have eaten the whole thing. Food was becoming a major problem, much as it always had.

The only difference now was that Rick was more than conscious that Carl needed to eat a full meal. He needed more vitamins and minerals than canned food could provide. It wasn’t just the biological imperative to make sure his offspring had enough to survive that itched under this skin. The alpha wasn’t going to acknowledge the other impulse that drove him to make sure the omega was feed. Still his mind betrayed him.

 _I have to take care of my omega_.

He and Michonne had made an agreement that Carl’s portions of whatever they had needed to be bigger than theirs, when it was possible of course. Yet the omega continued to make things difficult for them.

Even before he presented, Carl had a very giving nature and always seemed to be looking out for the adults; which of course was contrary to their need to watch out for him.

“It’s kind of a vicious cycle,” He had joked with the beta as Carl had been out of earshot.

“Well that’s kind of in his nature, Rick. I mean some of the ideas about omegas were old fashioned but they are still rooted in truths. They tend to be very nurturing and protective. Not all were like that but many of the ones I knew were. He’s probably going to continue to make it difficult for us to look out for him.”

Oddly enough her words brought forth memories of Shane. His discussion with Carl yesterday reminded him of his odd feelings of relief at this best friend’s death.

 _What would Shane have done if he had lived to see Carl as an omega_?

He hadn’t lied to his son when he told him that the other alpha could be caring when he needed to be. Rick himself could recall his best friend’s gentle touch when he wiped Carl’s blood from his face that day at Hershel’s farm. He could even recall the warmth of Shane’s forehead on his, a sign of trust that they would never again repeat.

“You got a weak boy,” Shane had screamed. Maybe Shane had known that Carl would be an omega. A sense of pride coursed through Rick. Carl had certainly proven that he was not the weak boy Shane had thought he was, omega or not.

 _Carl is stronger than you’ll ever know, Shane_.

Eventually they ran out of abandoned buildings and cars to shelter in, so it was necessary to make a camp in the woods. Michonne had thoughtfully grabbed a ball of twine at the first house she and Carl had searched those days ago.

They used the twine to make a perimeter and tied cans to it as a warning bell if any walkers came within the few feet of their camp. Rick went out to find a spot to set up a snare to see if they could possibly catch a rabbit or squirrel while the beta and omega fixed up their outdoor sleeping arrangements.

Deciding that it would be better for Carl to get a full night’s sleep, Rick and Michonne took turns keeping watch. Sitting near the fire, it hadn’t escaped the alpha’s notice that Carl seemed to be moving closer to where he sat.

 _He’s seeking my scent_.

For two nights now Rick had noticed that the omega’s body would seek his, sometimes with distress evident on the omega’s brow. Now the alpha couldn’t take it anymore. After making sure Michonne was asleep, Rick sat next to son’s sleeping body and gently stroked the soft brown strands of hair.

The omega’s face calmed and buried his head closer towards the alpha’s body. The distress had ebbed from the omega’s features leaving only peaceful contentment.

 _Step back, Rick_.

He knew he should listen to the voice in his head but there was something that tugged at him to stay near the omega; to revel in the feeling of completion he had being so close to his child. Resolving himself to try to distance himself from the omega in the morning, Rick turned his face into the dark moonlit night to watch for signs of any walking corpses.

Luck was on their side that night and there wasn’t a single sign of any walkers. Morning light soon came through the trees forcing the group up to start another day.

As the worked at boiling water in some of the left over cans, Rick asked the inevitable question.

“How hungry are you, scale of one to ten?” His gaze was aimed as his son.

“Fifteen,” Carl answered solemnly.

The alpha then turned to Michonne. “Twenty-eight,” the beta responded quickly.

“Yeah,” the older man responded. They needed more supplies soon. The weaker they got the more in danger they would be from walkers and other humans. Even if this Terminus place was legit, they would still need to make sure they were strong enough to run or fight if the need arose.

 _And I need the strength to protect Carl_.

“Well, I’m gonna go check the snares,” Rick pushed himself up off the ground.

“Can I go with you?” The omega looked up at him with earnest eyes. That was another thing Rick had noticed. Carl seemed to want to go with his dad as much as he could and would be visibility disappointed if the alpha said no.

The desire to keep the omega close was still prevalent in his brain so he responded, “Well, how else are you gonna learn?”

Happiness burst like sunshine on the omega’s face. His scent also seemed to bloom even sweeter, if that was even possible. Suppressants or no, the omega’s scent was still enticing him. Rick decided that when he got the chance he would pull Michonne aside and ask her about it.

Michonne tagged along and Rick felt better for it. It would not do for something to happen to her while they were away. The alpha knew that thought was completely irrational because Michonne could take care of herself better than anyone he had ever known, except maybe Daryl.

 _I wonder if he’s okay_.

Rick’s thoughts, when not worried about their immediate needs, always returned to his lost family. He wondered how many had survived. What direction did they head off in if they had? Would they ever meet up with them again?

Rick allowed those thoughts as he walked towards where he had set the snare with the omega and beta.

“We’ll stay another day or two. Get some more rest.” _And hopefully some more food_.

“Finish healing up?” Michonne asked.

“I’m almost there,” it was only a small lie. Truth be told, he had noticed that his injuries, including the bullet wound in his leg, had been healing at a rate much faster than they should. His mind though couldn’t come up with an explanation though and since there were more important things to think about, he decided to let it go for the time being.

“When we get there, are we gonna tell them?” The question posed by the omega startled Rick.

“Tell them what?” The beta asked before he could.

“Everything that’s happened to us. All the stuff we’ve done,” Carl turned to speak directly at Rick, “Are we gonna tell them the truth?”

With his son’s eyes on him, Rick wasn’t sure what he should respond with. He finally settled on, “We’re gonna tell them who we are.”

But the teen wasn’t satisfied with that. “But how do you do that? I mean…who are we?”

It was a powerful question. When Rick had met up with his family again after waking from his coma, he had never been surer of who he was during that moment when he held his wife and his son in his arms. Then as time dragged on, the alpha lost himself in this new bleak world of survival.

Memories of Lori whispering in his ear, of Hershel’s gentle teaching, of Shane’s angry shouts, of the Governor’s cloying words, all reverberated in the spaces that once filled who he was.

Even after those voices were gone, they lingered in his brain surfacing every so often to taunt him. Once he was Rick Grimes, deputy sheriff. For a while he was a leader and then he was a farmer.

And now…

Now he was an alpha keenly aware of the comforting sweet scent the omega next to him was unconsciously exuding. It was almost as if the omega knew the thoughts swirling in his head.

Rick remained silent and he hoped Carl understood there was no answer to his question. Watching his son’s head bow down, the alpha was grateful when the teen didn’t press any further.

A walker’s snarl rang out through the trees and like a well-oiled machine, all three reached for their weapons. Michonne took point and sliced the walker’s head in two.

“Let’s hurry up and check the trap and get back,” She said quickly as she cleaned her blade.

They moved in silence until they reached the trap, a good distance away from camp in case any walkers found the ensnared game before they did. Rick was relieved to see a small rabbit had been caught.

He set about explaining how the trap worked when they heard a man scream for help in the woods. The alpha’s first impulse was to grab Carl and run in the opposite direction. Except the omega got up and ran towards the screaming voice. Rick shouted at him to stop but Carl kept moving.

 _Dammit Carl_!

Even as Rick ran to catch his son, with Michonne by his side, he felt fury at the omega’s disobedience. They caught up with the omega standing at an entrance to a clearing where a man stood surrounded by a pack of walkers.

Carl raised his gun but Rick clutched him against his larger body before he could get off a shot. The teenager tried to struggle only for a moment but went limp when Rick squeezed him tighter to make the omega understand that he was in control.

“We can’t help him,” Rick whispered. They watch the man was surrounded, blood spurting from the bite wounds. One or two of the walkers not involved with making the man a meal noticed them and began to lumber towards them.

“We’ve got to go,” a slight edge of panic pained Michonne’s voice.

“Come on Carl,” Rick ordered unaware that his voice was rough with alpha influence. He felt the omega shudder against him but couldn’t stop to think about that feeling now. Pushing his son forward they began to run. At first they started back towards camp but more walkers came up blocking their way.

“Dammit! We can’t go back to the camp,” Rick spat.

“We have to keep moving,” Michonne pulled at Carl’s jacket to put herself between the omega and the walkers.

They made for the railroad tracks, moving a light sprint as they were aware they were being followed. More walkers were feasting on someone on the tracks in front them, probably the companion to the man in the clearing. Rick unsheathed his knife and walked forward. Michonne helped take out a few but the noise had attracted even more walkers who were coming out of the trees fast.

“Let’s go,” Rick ordered again, lamenting that they had once again lost what little supplies they had. He was grateful to have the rabbit in his bag because at least it was something.

They walked most of the day and managed to distance themselves from the pack of walkers. Rick knew that they would have to stop soon though in order to see what they could about cooking the rabbit.

“Thought maybe there’d be some houses down this way. Maybe even a store,” Michonne spoke as she walked. “There’s got to be some food around here somewhere.”

There was a measure of desperation in her voice and the alpha recognized that it would probably be best if they found somewhere to camp for the night. Luckily they found an abandoned car on the side of the road.

Thought its location was more open than Rick would have liked, he knew better than to try and push his beta and omega any more.

“Let’s stop here for the night. We can scout around to see if we find anything, then cook the rabbit.”

Sadly there’s nothing to be scavenged in the area, not even a stream. They did have some water bottles in the bags they had been carrying. Together Rick and Michonne worked at skinning, preparing, and cooking the rabbit. Despite its small size, they made sure that Carl got a fairly large piece.

“Hey Carl, how about you get some rest in the car for a while,” as he spoke Rick reached over to place his hand on the omega’s neck. He could feel the tension, that had been visible on the omega’s face all day, relax. Carl’s eyes closed as he leaned against his father. It was against his better judgment to allow the omega to scent him again but the day’s events left Rick too weary to protest.

The alpha walked the omega to the car and opened the door. With his arm still around the omega, Rick pulled him close and leaned down to inhale his son’s scent. Carl’s arms encircled his body tight as if afraid to let go.

“We’re gonna be okay,” Rick whispered into his son’s hair.

“I know,” Carl replied.

Before he had even thought about it, Rick placed a quick kiss on his son’s neck before leading him into the seat and shutting the door. Moving back to join Michonne near the small fire, the alpha could see that the beta wanted to say something.

“Don’t,” was all Rick said. Somehow the beta understood and remained silent.

They sat in the stillness just listening to the quiet noises of the night while the fire began to die down. The alpha attempted some small talk but was interrupted by a sharp noise in the woods.

Muscles tensed as they stood up to watch for signs of an intruder. Seeing nothing they eventually sat back down.

“Yeah, it’s always the same, isn’t it?”

 _Always moving, always searching for food, for a safe place_.

“Maybe this place isn’t even there anymore,” the words had only just left his mouth when he heard the click of a gun safety being turned off and he felt cold metal against his temple.

“Oh, dearie me. You screwed up, asshole. You hear me? You screwed up. Did you really think I wouldn’t be able to track down that sweet omega smell?”

They were surrounded by the men from the house. The group’s alpha stood next to him, trapping Rick with the gun that was ready to fire at any moment.

_Fuck!_

“Today is the day of reckoning, sir. Restitution. A balancing of the whole damn universe,” there was glee evident in the older alpha’s voice.

“I was so hoping we’d find you. I had almost given up hope when we found that candy bar wrapper and there it was plain as day the sweet scent of omega.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Rick watched one of the men approach the car where Carl sat. The large beta slapped a knife against the window and Rick’s blood turned to ice.

“Shit and I was thinking of turning in for the night on New Year’s Eve,” The alpha laughed. “We’ll make your death the start of the celebrations.”

Turning to his men the alpha continued, “Now who’s gonna count down the ball dropper with me, huh?” He began counting down but was interrupted by a familiar voice.

“Joe! Hold up.”

Rick almost couldn’t believe his eyes. It was Daryl. The beta looked dirty and tired but he was alive and the alpha felt some relief that he was here. Daryl would help in whatever way he could.

The group’s alpha, Joe, wasn’t happy to be interrupted. “You're stopping me on eight, Daryl.”

Daryl tried his best to reason with the men but a quick glance at the hard faces was all Rick needed to know that this wasn’t going to end well.

 _What am I going to do? I can’t let them hurt Carl or Michonne_.

Blood began to pound in Rick’s ear as Daryl was doing his best to try to help.

 _I can’t let them near Carl. I can’t_!

“You want blood, I get it,” Daryl threw down his crossbow. “Take it from me, man.”

Worry shot through Rick at the beta’s words. He didn’t want to lose his friend after finding him again.

“This man killed our friend. You say he’s good people,” there was something manic in Joe’s voice as he spoke, “See, now that right there is a lie.”

Daryl’s face fell and Rick could see that was a bad sign. Then one of the men hit Daryl with his gun. Two of the men began savagely, but systematically, beating Daryl.

“No!” Rick was shoved back down to ground. Then he heard the car door open.

“You leave him be!” The alpha yelled again as he tried to scramble up to get to the omega. Joe heaved him down again. He watched as the beta slobbered into his son’s hair and neck.

 _Get off him_. _Get off him_. _Get off him_. _Get off him_.

Michonne attempted to get up as well, unable to stand watching the large beta manhandle the teenager. The dark skinned beta of the group though didn’t allow her to move an inch.

“You’ll get yours. You just wait your turn.” His words were a menacing promise.

 _Maybe if I let them hurt me they’ll leave Carl and Michonne alone_. Desperation drove him to plead.

“Listen, it was me. It was just me.”

“See, now that’s right. That’s not some damn lie. Look, we can settle this. We’re reasonable men. First, we’re gonna beat Daryl to death.” _No_. “Then we’ll have the girl.” _No_. “Then the boy.” _NO_.” Then I’m gonna shoot you and then we’ll be square.”

The air was thick with odors. Rick could smell the sour scent of Carl’s fear. He could smell anger and hatred from Michonne and the metallic scent of Daryl’s blood. Most chilling of all he could smell the arousal from the beta holding his son down and arousal coming from the alpha standing behind him. Each scent caused Rick’s blood to heat with rage.

“Course there is the matter of you keeping the omega from me. I’ll tell you what though,” Joe continued. “I’ll let the boys play with him then I’ll knot him and claim him when it’s my turn. That way none of the guys will get to enjoy him after that and you can die knowing that your pretty omega is going to be well kept by me.”

Carl’s whimpers and cries were growing steadily louder, mixed with the cruel laughter of the beta who was enjoying the boy’s struggles to get free.

“Stop your squirming,” the beta slobbered.

Something clicked. A strange calm came over Rick and he menacingly said, “Let him go.”

 _You can’t have him_.

With a quick snap, Rick threw his head back into the rival alpha. The gun went off with a bang next to Rick’s ear. His head rang with disorientation but the instincts that he had been trying to suppress for days reared up.

He was able to punch Joe once before the other alpha was able to punch him back. Rick tumbled to the ground still disoriented from the gunshot. Around him the sounds of his family suffering pounded in his ears. He heard Michonne get slapped to the ground for attempting to push the gun away. He heard the harsh hits to Daryl’s body.

Most of all he could hear the click of a belt being unbuckled and that sound soared over the sound of Carl’s cries.

_You can’t have him. You can’t have him. YOU CAN’T HAVE HIM. HE’S MINE!_

He pushed himself up from the ground into the arms of the opposing alpha who scoffed at his movements.

“What the hell are you gonna do now, sport?”

_YOU CAN’T HAVE HIM!_

With a lurch Rick sunk his teeth into the rival alpha’s flesh. He pulled back a chunk of flesh, tasting the metallic heat of gore flood his mouth. His alpha instincts roared in approval as the blood spattered over his face and chest.

 _He is mine_.

The alpha spit out his rival’s flesh, aware that he had taken the same part of the neck that is normally marked for a claim. Those who witnessed his savagery stopped in awe and fear.

Michonne took the opportunity to grab the gun from her captor and shot him with it. She took out one more guy before she saw the large beta holding a knife to Carl’s neck. Daryl as well managed to smash the skull of his remaining attacker.

Rick’s mind was a flood of cool fury as he savored the sounds of his dying rival. He reached for the large knife on the man’s belt and stood ready to face the last beta.

“He’s mine.” _This beta dared to touch what is mine_.

Adrenaline swelled in him, giving Rick the strength to pull the knife up the man’s flesh from navel to neck. More blood drenched him but he continued to stab the large man over and over again, enjoying the squelching sounds of metal meeting flesh in a bloody and grotesque parody of what the man had intended to do with his son.

The beta’s body fell to the ground, after a quick stab to the eye to make sure the beta didn’t turn, the alpha became aware he was being watched and turned to face the group. His dark eyes met the clear lighter blue eyes of the omega, watching him unflinchingly. Rick held that heated gaze as he let out a low growl and took a step towards the omega.

Distantly he could hear the beta say something.

“Rick you need to listen to me. You’re in bloodlust. You need to step away. If you touch Carl now you’ll want to mate with him. Don’t let your impulses control you!” Michonne held on to Carl tight, her voice panicked.

But the alpha’s mind was still caught in his instincts.

 _Yes, I should claim the omega. I won him. He belongs to me. He wants me too. I can see it in his eyes._ Desire was evident in the omega’s pale blue eyes, glowing so bright in the moonlight.

 _I’ll mark that pretty pale neck while I knot him and he’ll be mine. He was meant to be mine. They can’t stop me from claiming what already belongs to me_.

The alpha took another step towards the omega who attempted to leave the beta’s arms in order to go to the alpha. When the omega realized he was trapped, he whined softly which aroused the alpha’s possessiveness.

Daryl was looking back and forth between the two, understanding dawning on his face. He stood in front of Michonne and Carl, blocking them from Rick’s view. The steely look on his face showed he was resolved to help even if it meant putting himself in danger.

“Rick, listen to Michonne. You saved Carl. He’s safe.”

 _The omega is mine. You can’t have him. He wants to be mine. Get out of my way. GET OUT OF MY WAY_!

The knife glinted as it was raised in the moonlight, once again poised to gut a beta. Once the betas were gone he would have the omega right there.

“Dammit Rick! _Stop! Stop!”_ Michonne’s voice cracked as she screamed.

The sound of Michonne’s screams, such a foreign sound, pierced the hazy fog in the alpha’s mind. Rick suddenly was aware that he was standing holding up a knife up to Daryl’s neck. Trembling fingers dropped the knife with a thud and Rick stepped back, eyes wide with terror. Without a word he stumbled back into the trees to distance himself from the needy whines the omega was making.

 _What have I done_?

As he fled, he could hear Michonne trying to snap Carl out whatever trance the omega had fallen into, much like she had done with Rick. Once he was far enough, the alpha sunk to the ground with his face in his hands. He could do nothing but sob while the sounds of the leaves rustling in the wind resounded around him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to try to get one more chapter out this week before I'm gone for the break.


	8. Chapter 8: Carl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carl's POV of the claimer's attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the delay guys. There may be more errors than normal cause I wanted to get this out as soon as possible.

As the group traveled, Carl tried not to show how worried he really felt. The thing between him and his dad was growing more obvious. They seemed to bounce between being completely relaxed with each other to being fully awkward.

Every now and then Rick would touch Carl on the neck. The teen would relish in the feeling of warmth and comfort his father’s scent would bring him. Too often the omega recognized that he was gently presenting his neck to his father.

 _I’ve got to get a hold of myself_.

That was a sentiment easier said than done. It also hadn’t escaped his noticed that occasionally he would notice his father’s eyes looking at him with a foreign heat in those blue depths.

It had been his father who had found the blue hoodie that was about his size. Gentle hands had helped Carl into it and had zipped it high in order to keep the omega as comfortable as possible.

Carl had tried his best not to flush at the contentment that rushed through him when his father took care of him like that.

The omega also felt a strong need to be around his father as much as he possibly could. He hid his disappointment when it was time to walk with Michonne on the rails. He did enjoy the beta’s company but there was something under his skin that itched to be near his father.

Deep down he felt a longing for something that Carl couldn’t explain and was so afraid to think about. It was a constant ache that only calmed when his dad touched him.

They struggled along the tracks, taking shelter where they could. That night they slept outside in the trees, Carl felt uneasy that his father was sleeping closer to the perimeter of their camp instead of next to him.

He dreamt though that he could feel his father stroking his hair and he indulged in the heady scent of pine. When he was gently nudged awake by Michonne, he could see his father preparing what they had left for food.

 _It was a dream_ , Carl chided himself.

Carl was given permission to accompany his father to the snare that had been set up the night before. He was elated to be able to go and not have to stay in the camp.

 _God how pathetic is that_.

The internal beratement wasn’t new either. Each time he recognized his submissive behavior, Carl mentally scolded himself in hopes it would help keep from repeating his embarrassing actions. Unfortunately it hadn’t seemed to be working.

As they walked to the snare, the conversation turned to Terminus and Carl found himself unable to resist asking the question that had been on his mind.

“I mean… who are we?”

Neither adult had an answer. Once that would have made him angry but now, he understood that some things were better left unsaid.

 _I can understand why they don’t want to discuss it but I mean what if these are good people? Do we really deserve to be taken in by them_?

The omega wasn’t really sure why he ran towards the echoing screams of desperation. He simply felt a tug to help those pathetic cries. Hopelessness took over as he saw how many walkers had surrounded the man. Raising his gun to see if he could make a difference, Carl was seized from behind.

“We can’t help him,” his dad whispered in his ear. Carl was conscious that he was being held against the firm chest of his alpha’s body and could feel the heat penetrate through his clothes.

The omega almost whined at the sight of the man being dismembered but a few walkers had noticed them and were starting towards them.

“Come on Carl.” The order had come out with a resonance that made something in the omega’s blood run hot. He couldn’t contain the little shudder his body made as his dad shoved him forward to run.

As they did their best to distance themselves from the walker herd, Carl abruptly remembered something. He hadn’t taken his suppressants for the day and they had been in his bag back at camp.

 _I don’t suppose it’ll hurt to miss a few days_.

They were lucky that his father had stuffed the small rabbit in his bag before they had been overrun. Sadly there wasn’t much meat on it. When Carl took his portion from his father, he found himself starting at his dad’s rough hands. Despite the wear on them, his father’s fingers were long. The omega couldn’t help but compare them to his own smaller delicate fingers.

 _I wonder if mine will ever grow to be that long_.

Those thoughts lead to morbid reminders of the future and Carl couldn’t allow himself to fall into any sort of depression. He needed to be able to support his alpha.

After dusk, his father suggested he go to sleep in the car. He felt same large warm hands he had admired earlier, rest on his neck and immediately felt the calming effects of the touch. Without any resistance he let himself be lead to the car door.

Impulsively, Carl leaned into his father’s body to rub his scent on the older man. When the alpha’s arms pulled him into a hug, the teenager responded; reveling in the heat between their bodies. He stifled the usual embarrassment he felt. In that quiet moment where the alpha and omega stood with their bodies tenderly touching, his hesitation seemed so insignificant.

“We’re gonna be okay,” his fathered whispered in his ear.

“I know,” Carl responded. Somehow he knew they would be. His trust in the alpha to lead them had been restored that night Carl thought his father had turned. When he felt the kiss on his neck, his whole body shuddered from the feeling of contentment at the gesture.

 _I’ve pleased my alpha_.

Once seated snuggly in the car, a feeling of cold washed over him.

 _Whoa! What was that? I shouldn’t be thinking about pleasing my dad_.

Glad to be safely ensconced in the car, the omega knew he was blushing fairly hard if the heat in his cheeks was any indication. It was weird to think of his dad as if…

Technically his father was his familial alpha but more and more the omega was getting the feeling that his body did not quite understand the _familial_ part. Last night’s dream of a reassuring caress made him ache for more.

The book, which had been lost in the house, had a chapter about alpha attraction. If he was being honest some of the things that he thought about his dad were labeled as textual alpha attraction.

But he couldn’t think about that now, instead he did his best to get comfortable in the car seat and attempted to fall asleep.

Something startled him awake from his light doze. A group of rough looking men surrounded his dad and Michonne. One of men shuffled up to the car. He was large and greasy looking and with a sickening grin the man tapped a knife up against the window.

Panic surged through him at the sight but it doubled when he noticed one of the men holding a gun to his father’s temple. The conversation was garbled through the car doors and he wasn’t entirely sure what was going on. A shout drew his attention to opposite side of the car where Daryl suddenly stepped out of the shadows.

Watching the back and forth, Carl made sure to keep one eye on the large man who continued to leer at him. The leader of the men, who the teen assumed was an alpha, said something about Daryl lying. Two of the men started beating Daryl. Distressed Carl turned his back to the large man.

The noise of the car door being wrenched open was his only warning before large hands painfully pulled him from the car seat.

Even struggling with all his strength, the omega couldn’t get out of the agonizing grip of the beta twice his size. He was pulled against the man’s front and was disgusted by the man sniffing at his hair.

Across the short distance, Carl’s eyes met his father’s. A fiery anger and fear were prevalent in his alpha’s eyes. The teen kept squirming constantly trying to find a way to escape when he realized he could feel something hard against his backside.

 _Oh god_. The beta was aroused. The smell coming from the man was sour, like rotten food, and he could feel his throat burning with nausea.

Icy terror clenched his entire body. The sounds of the leader’s plans were soon reverberating in Carl’s ears.

“First, we’re gonna beat Daryl to death. Then we’ll have the girl. Then the boy. Then I’m gonna shoot you and then we’ll be square.”

 _Oh god. Daddy, help me_. His mind whimpered. He was going to be violated by this slobbering beta.

He was thrust to the ground and as soon as he felt the scratching of the concrete, the omega tried his best to scramble away. It didn’t help. The beta pulled at him, lying on top of him to keep him from getting away.

Whimpers and cries were ripped from his throat with every touch new touch the beta forced on him.

“Stop your squirming,” the beta laughed above him.

The beta would shove his hands back against the concrete causing sharp pain to bloom from the scrapping of his skin. At point, Carl could feel the handle of the knife the beta had dropped and he almost had it within his grasp. The large man only laughed and kept a bruising grip on the omega’s wrists.

Still Carl kept struggling, not wanting to make it easy for his tormentor. Vaguely he heard a gunshot go off but couldn’t spare much thought towards it. Everything was focused on getting away from the giant hands that roamed his body.

The omega was turned over onto his stomach. The beta shoved his head down causing the hot sear of pain to flash from the scrape of flesh meeting concrete. Even worse was the sound of a belt buckle being undone.

 _No! Daddy don’t let him do this to me_.

Tears welled as he clawed desperate against the leave laden ground, frantic to get away from the violation that awaited him.

“What you gonna do now sport?’

For a split second there was a silence that was followed by the sound of flesh being ripped apart. Carl looked up to see his father’s face covered in blood. He watched his alpha spit out flesh and gore while spurts of blood flowed from the hole in his rival’s neck.

A myriad of emotions ran through the omega. Fear, disbelief, and something else that burned hot low in his body. Suddenly he was hauled to his feet while the beta held the glinting knife to his throat. He stared straight at his alpha while Michonne and Daryl dispatched the other men.

Rick’s blue eyes glistened with something primal. The alpha took the knife from the dying man at his feet and stalked towards them. Over the beta’s futile pleading, Carl was suddenly shoved away. Michonne grabbed him and pulled him into her arms.

The omega was glad for the comfort, the female beta’s touch soothing after the coarse handling of his would be rapist.

Yet something was wrong. His skin burned for another touch. He didn’t allow his eyes to stray from the sight of his alpha stabbing the other man over and over again. The squelching sounds of cleaving flesh and spattering blood resounded in his ears.

 _I need him. I belong to him_.

The alpha, soaked in even more blood, stood in triumph over the omega’s assailant. When he turned, the alpha’s eyes glowing eyes met the omegas.

Later Carl would remember what that moment felt like.

The burning under his skin demanded the touch of the victorious alpha. He needed to feel those blood soaked hands on his skin to chase away the ghostly touches of the beta. His neck ached to feel the sharp pain of a claiming bite.

To feel the burn of the alpha’s beard, adorned with blood, as it would travel kisses across his skin leaving behind a resplendent red painting. To be marked by the strong powerful alpha who had prevailed over his attackers. He felt a burn deep inside to be filled, to be owned in every possible way. He wanted to submit wholly and completely to his alpha.

 _I want to be his. I need to be his. We belong to each other_.

The alpha felt the same way. Desire was reflected in those eyes. The alpha took a step towards them and the male beta that had helped take care of their foes, stepped in the way.

The omega tried to move towards his alpha but was still being held in the tight embrace of the female beta. He let out a whine and hoped the alpha would come and get him.

 _Please alpha. I need to feel you in me_.

The alpha’s eyes flashed and he held up the knife to gut the obstructing beta. Deep in his throat, the omega purred at the thought of the alpha getting rid of both betas so they could alone. They could finally touch.

The shouts of the female beta did something though. The alpha stopped and his eyes seem to clear. The omega whined again, louder, and struggled to get free.

 _No, don’t stop. Come get me. Please_.

But the alpha took a step back then turned and vanished into the dark woods. A cry tore itself from the omega’s lips at being abandoned.

 _Am I not good enough for you alpha_?

He felt the female beta take his face in her hands and she continued to speak to him.

“Carl, you need to listen to my voice. You need to wake up. Your omega instincts are controlling you. You must snap out of it! Carl! _Carl!_ ”

Her grip was painful on his arms. She slightly shook him as she yelled. Carl felt something snap in his head though and he blinked a few times.

“Michonne?”

Her face visibly relaxed. “Yeah. Are you back Carl?”

“What,” the omega felt disoriented. Like he had been dreaming while awake but he couldn’t quite remember what he had been thinking about. It was almost there but he couldn’t quite grasp it.

“You…” Michonne hesitated.

“Just tell him Michonne,” Daryl walked into Carl’s line of sight. “There’s no use watering it down for him.”

“You were in a mating trance Carl. You and…” Her voice trailed off again.

“We, oh,” was all Carl could say. That’s right, he had wanted the alpha to touch him, to claim him, to…

 _I wanted…to mate with my dad_.

The despair of his actions must have shown on his face. Michonne pulled him into a tight hug.

“It’s not your fault. Carl, _it’s not your fault_. None of it. Your body was reacting to biological impulses.”

“I…”

The female beta pulled him up to look at her eye to eye. “ _It was not your fault_.”

 _You don’t understand_.

Carl ducked his head down unsure as to what to do now.

 _I wanted it_.

“Come on,” Michonne sighed. “I want you to go lay down in the back of the car while we take care of your father and the bodies.”

For a moment the teenager wanted to protest but quickly understood that the adults needed to converse. Especially since his dad’s reaction had probably been even stronger than his.

 _Dad probably felt the same desire_.

A small shudder went through his body at that thought. Michonne lead Carl back to the car and opened the door for him.

“I’ll join you later. For now try to sleep.”

 _But you don’t understand_. _I still want to be his_.

The teen laid down in the backseat. He heard rustling of cloth and after a few minutes watched as the betas put cloth over the windows to black out the moonlight. With the car completely dark, Carl felt his body relax a bit.

_I wonder if she knew that would help._

Lying on his side, he began to rub at the now dried blood on his knuckles. He curled into himself as much as he could. His mind twisted with so many thoughts.

 _I want to be mated. I feel empty without him. But, Christ, he’s my father_!

His thoughts drifted to his near violation. Tears welled as he felt his hands tremble at the memories of the man slobbering over him. He could still smell the beta’s dirty arousal on his body and he frantically scrubbed his hands together hoping the scent would vanish.

 _I’m so weak. I can’t even protect myself. I don’t deserve to have an alpha_.

Before he realized it, he was whining low in his throat at his own self-loathing. After a few minutes there was a knock on the door and Michonne crawled into the backseat.

“Let me sit down then you can use me for a pillow. There’s not much cushion but it’ll be better than nothing.”

Carl allowed Michonne to situate herself then laid down taking in the reassuring almond scent. Another scent very faintly clung to her. It only took him a moment to recognize it as his father’s pine scent. Michonne hand went up and hesitated before starting to gently run her hands through his hair.

Despite still being tense, the soothing touches eventually caused the omega to fall into a light sleep with only thought still adrift in his mind.

 _I still want to be his_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to try and get the next chapter out as soon as I can. We're in the home stretch guys.


	9. Chapter 9: Rick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day after the attack and now things are set in motion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly slow chapter since we are being set up for the main event.

In the quiet of the forest, Rick rested his head against a tree. He should have been more on guard, especially considering that all the noise probably attracted nearby walkers. Even so Rick’s mind couldn’t focus on a single thought, much less worry about the walking corpses.

 _I almost mated with Carl_.

Each time the phrase repeated itself in his head, guilt and anger at himself sunk deeper. He had never lost control of himself that badly before in his life. Rick had always prided himself on his control.

When other police officers, like Shane, had trouble controlling their instincts, Rick had always felt a bit smug that he had never suffered those same problems.

It looked like karma was out to get him for being so prideful.

In all fairness he knew his actions were partially understandable. Even before the collapse of the world, he had only done what any parent would do to protect their child from such a violation. Carl’s pitiful cries still rang clear in his head. He still felt a burning anger that another man had dared to touch his child in such a way.

But he also felt the even stronger scorching fury that the beta had dared to touch _his_ omega.

Not only that but he had almost hurt Daryl and Michonne in order to get to Carl. Two of the most important people in his life and he had held a knife up ready to gut them in the same manner as Carl’s attacker. He had lost himself in that impulse that drove him to have the omega in his arms.

 _Come Rick get a hold of yourself. You can’t go on like this_.

He couldn’t. God only knew what would happen when Carl went into heat for the first time. They both needed to be on suppressants. If only they hadn’t left them behind.

They would need to find more before continuing on to Terminus. The snap of a twig to his right immediately broke his thoughts and put him on edge.

“It’s just me Rick,” Michonne’s voice sounded weary.

The alpha just wasn’t sure what to say. “Michonne…I’m…”

“Don’t,” She cut him off. “I know Rick.”

Resignation was etched on her face but she spoke plainly, “You need to come back. We have to take care of the bodies and Daryl was beat up pretty badly. It’s not safe to be out here by yourself.”

Rick straightened himself aware that his hands were trembling.

“Carl?” He whispered.

“He’s safe in the car. I’ll check on him after we’re done.”

He followed her back to the road where Daryl was pulling a knife out of one of the men’s skull. They worked silently. First making sure their brains were destroyed, and then dragging the bodies a safe distance away.

By the time they were done sunlight had risen but was dampened by grey clouds. Michonne went into the car to stay with Carl. Rick sat against the car, unable to bring himself to go any further than that.

His hands still shook. Without the work to distract him, he was once again aware of the innumerable scents of blood and stale fear that still clung in the area.

He could still hear Carl’s cries.

Eventually Daryl came back from organizing the men’s supplies. He slopped some water on a piece of cloth and offered it to Rick.

“We should save it to drink,” the alpha tried to protest.

“You can’t see yourself, he can.”

It was a reminder that he had dried blood still caked over his face. Rick began to wipe off the blood as Daryl sat down beside him.

The beta’s words sounded like apologies. It felt wrong that Daryl would try to take the blame for the actions of the men he had been traveling with.

“It’s not on you, Daryl.”

The other man still looked hesitant.

“Hey. It’s not on you. You being back with us here, now, that’s everything.”

 _You were brave enough to keep me from crossing that line_.

“You’re my brother.” The words hung in the air and it was apparent there was significant weight to them. Rick could finally feel the tremors in his hands began to calm. Then Daryl spoke again.

“Hey, what you did last night…anybody would have done that.”

 _No_ , Rick thought.

“No, not that. Something happened,” The alpha tried to explain.

“That ain’t you,” The beta responded.

“Daryl, you saw what I did to Tyreese.” _What I almost did to you and Michonne_.

“It ain’t all of it, but that’s me. That’s why I’m here now. That’s why Carl is…I want to keep him safe. That’s all that matters.”

 _Keep him safe from others and keep him safe from me_.

Eventually Rick dozed right there beside the car while Daryl kept watch for walkers. Whatever luck they all lived by was holding firm. There had not been any walker sightings all day. Towards mid-day, Daryl woke Rick up so the two could see if they could put together a lunch for the group.

Michonne came out of the car and firmly shut the door behind her.

“We have a problem.”

Dread swiftly filled Rick. After a beat, Michonne continued.

“Carl’s going into pre-heat.”

There it was. The threat that had hung over Rick’s head since Carl presented. It was happening and Rick was helpless do to anything about it.

“Are you sure?” Daryl questioned.

She nodded. “He’s hungry and he said it hurt when I touched him.”

 _Who gave you the right to touch him_?

Quickly suppressing that burst of anger, Rick ran his hands through his hair.

“What are we gonna do?” He said out loud to the betas and to himself.

“I have an idea,” Michonne started. “First, Terminus will have to wait. We can’t risk taking him there when we have no idea what kind of people they are or how many alpha’s live there.”

Rick’s blood boiled at the prospect of taking his omega into a place where other alpha’s would smell him, would desire him.

“From the last map I saw on the tracks there may be a small town, maybe a half a day’s walk from here,” The female beta continued.

“Will Carl be okay to travel?” Rick asked.

“He should be for the most part. It just started which means he’s got about 24 hours before his body shifts completely for the heat.”

“Once we find a place, we should clear and secure it as quick as we can,” Daryl interjected.

“Yes, and Rick you will need to stay clear of Carl at any cost.” Michonne’s tone was firm.

Rick found he didn’t have a response to that. Daryl certainly did.

“Ain’t that a bit harsh?”

Michonne’s face shifted to wear. “No. If they get too close to each other, I can’t guarantee that nothing will happen when Carl’s heat hits.”

Her words hugged the air and although Rick was well aware to her meaning, complete comprehension of the situation finally shone on Daryl’s face. Ignoring both of them, Rick asked what other ideas Michonne had.

After hammering out the details, Rick and Daryl grabbed what supplies they could carry and started walking in the pointed direction. After a few minutes they could see the faint figures of Michonne and Carl following them a good distance behind.

The alpha itched to have the omega closer to him but did his best to quash those feelings. He would still turn every so often to make sure that the two were still within eyesight. Eventually they found the new road and followed it to the first few buildings of the town.

With their weapons up, Rick and Daryl moved seamlessly to kill off the few walkers that lumbered towards them. It appeared that this town, like a few they had seen, had been evacuated early on so many of the buildings remained intact.

Michonne had been very specific about what they should look for, so the alpha and beta bypassed the town square to walk into the nearby neighborhood. First was, what Rick assumed, the older part of town. Many of these decaying houses were small and surrounded by wild plants.

It was Daryl who urged him to keep moving deeper into the town. Finally the smaller houses gave way to larger houses, many with fancy fences.

“There’s always a nicer part of town,” Daryl had mussed.

Indeed several of these houses sat on larger plots. One in particular held Rick’s attention. A large stone fence several feet high encased a large house you could barely see. Weapons up, the two made their way to the metal front gate. Through it they could see a large two story house with what looked like a second home sitting behind it.

As the gate was securely locked with a chain and padlock, Rick was hopeful the house was intact.

“This might work,” the alpha surmised.

“Let me see if I can get this lock open,” Daryl pulled out some tools that had been taken from one of the claimers. As Daryl worked, Rick made sure to turn to watch Michonne and Carl in the distance.

The beta and omega had followed mostly unmolested. Only once did Michonne have to take her sword out to take care of a rogue walker Rick and Daryl had missed.

Seeing what they were doing, Michonne had stopped Carl a fair distance away. From where he stood Rick couldn’t quite tell if Carl was okay. For a moment he was caught simply staring at the smaller form. His fingers ached to run his hands through the omega’s hair.

“I got it,” Daryl exclaimed softly.

Once again prepared to face any unwanted company, the two walked up the substantial driveway to the front door. It was locked and Daryl once again made quick work of the lock to get it open.

Walking inside the house was a bit of an experience. Whoever had lived here had meticulously kept the house in order. Each room was checked and while the house was as decadent as Rick first thought it may be, it was clear that these people once had money to afford a nice living.

 _Not that it matters now_.

“I think this will do,” Rick declared.

“Let’s go check that second house back there. Why would someone have two houses?”

“Guest house, I guess,” the alpha responded.

The guest house looked new and in fact wasn’t locked. There was no furniture in it, only dust. Despite having secured a good location to stay the next few days, Rick still felt agitated for some reason.

“This should do.”

“I’ll go get Michonne and Carl,” Daryl headed out the door while Rick went to explore the kitchen. The pantry had some odds and ends but it appeared the family hadn’t shopped before evacuating.

 _Shame_.

But Rick supposed they couldn’t be so lucky to find a house that was easy defendable and full of food. The front door opened and Michonne called out.

“Rick where are you?”

“In the kitchen,” he called back to her. The dark skinned beta came in.

“Where’s Carl?”

“I sent him to the guest house.”

That startled Rick. “What? Why?”

“We need to keep him secluded. Daryl and I are going to look for a mattress we can take and put in the guest house.”

It started to become clear. “You want to isolate Carl in the guest house when his heat hits.”

Michonne nodded. “It’s going to be soon. If he stays in there, then we can stay in this house and keep watch for any people or walkers.”

“Is there nothing else we can do for Carl?” There was a slight edge of desperation in Rick’s voice. He just couldn’t stand the thought of his son having to suffer through the heat.

Her face spoke volumes.

“No, he’s just going to have to go through it. We still have some time. If you’ll see about making some food, Daryl and I will set up a little camp in the living room.”

The adults worked quickly to prepare things as best as they could. Rick watched the betas carry a twin mattress down the wide stairs then get it through the back door towards the guest house.

The alpha felt a bit of anger and not being allowed to see Carl. He chanced a look through one of the back windows which gave a clear view into the other house and noticed his son pacing in the front room.

Even from where he stood Rick could tell the omega’s face was etched with exhaustion. Rick’s hand ached with the desire to run his hands through the omega’s hair and to squeeze his neck to bring some relief to the obviously ailing boy.

 _No, Rick_. He told himself. _You can’t afford those thoughts. He’s going to go into heat soon and you can’t be anywhere near him_.

After some food, they continued to work to prepare themselves for the night ahead. Daryl curled up on the couch to take a nap so he could stay up and keep watch. Michonne raided the house for this she felt Carl would need. She took many of the blankets into the guest house.

When she came back in the house, Rick got a whiff of sweet scent clinging to her. Unknowingly he moved closer to her to inhale more of that intoxicating aroma. She caught him though and the look she gave was clear.

“Sorry,” Rick muttered before moving to try to find something to occupy himself. There was a part of him that continued to sting at her treatment. Did she really think he didn’t have the self-control to keep himself from touching his son during heat?

 _She’s right though. You almost claimed him once before_.

He shook his head of those thoughts. Rick went upstairs to go through some of the many rooms as well. The master had beautiful dark furniture and he methodically began to go through them. There had not been any suppressants in the bathroom, much to his disappointment, so he hoped the bedroom drawers would prove to be more helpful.

As he worked, Rick became aware that his hands were beginning to shake. He rubbed them together unsure as to why he was agitated.

“Hey Rick,” Daryl had come upstairs to the master bedroom. “You feeling up for a run?”

“Sure,” maybe he being focused on searching for supplies would help calm whatever nerves plagued him.

They restricted their search to houses that were nearby as Rick unwilling to leave Carl and Michonne alone for too long. The first house yielded a good amount of supplies but it was in the second that Rick found the important small bottle of pills he had been looking for.

Not that the suppressants would help Carl now, but it would be good to have them for when the heat had run its course. It was getting close to dusk and the two men made their way back to the house.

The restless feeling returned to the alpha. It felt like his skin was being pulled every which way but he didn’t know why. So he busied himself going through the food. It was a pretty great haul, all things considered. The town was so deserted that it wouldn’t be a bad place to set up a temporary home.

Eventually Rick ran out of things to occupy himself so he sat at the kitchen table rubbing his hands together to keep from shaking.

“Michonne went to check up on Carl again. She says he’ll probably sleep through the night and most of tomorrow. When he wakes he’ll either be hungry or his heat will start.”

“So I’ll guess we’ll stay until it’s over,” Rick’s voice sounded unsure even to him.

Daryl nodded. “It’ makes sense. Someone can keep watch from the second floor which is high enough to see over the fence. I tied the gate shut so it doesn’t look like there’s anybody here.”

Michonne came in to the kitchen, the delicious sweet scent lingered even stronger on her and it was slightly maddening to Rick.

“Tonight I’m going to sleep with Carl in the guest house.”

Rick almost protested. If anyone should be sleeping in the same house as his son, it should be him. Yet that was the point, to keep Rick and Carl apart.

“I’ll take first watch tonight. You get some sleep,” Daryl said.

Again he almost protested. Daryl and Michonne had certainly done more taxing work than he had. It wasn’t fair that he should rest first but the look the hunter gave him was firm and Rick understood he had nothing to gain by arguing.

“Alright, but you wake me if there is any kind of trouble,” the alpha responded.

Daryl gave him a small nod.

As Rick bedded down one of the couches in the living room he hoped, for all their sakes, that there would be no more complications.

The alpha was woken in the middle of the night. He automatically reached for his knife but was stopped by Daryl’s hand.

“Come on, you should see this before you start your watch.”

Going up the stairs, the beta lead Rick to the front window. The moon was only a sliver but that light was just enough for Rick to see through the gate. A herd of walkers shuffled down the street in their normal aimless gait.

“Can they see us?”

Daryl shook his head. “I don’t think so. We’ve got no light in the house to indicate that there’s someone here. We should be okay.”

As the last of the herd finally shuffled by, Rick relaxed the tight grip he had on his gun. Finally the bright light of dawn came over the trees.

“I wish every night would go as smoothly as that,” The hunter yawned.

Rick couldn’t help but snort. “We’re not that lucky.”

Michonne joined them in the kitchen, her face engraved with exhaustion.

“It’s going to start soon. I’m going to take him a little more food. Could you guys do another check around the neighborhood to make sure we’re alone? His scent is getting even stronger and I’m afraid it’s going to start attracting humans and walkers.”

Rick looked towards Daryl who was pointedly not looking back at the alpha. They both agreed and did a quick sweep around the house. Other than some spare walkers from the herd who could no longer walk, the town remained empty.

But Rick’s hand still quivered. He quickly holstered his gun and took out his knife, hoping Daryl wouldn’t notice the shaking. That was futile. Daryl was always observant and it wasn’t too long before those sharp eyes noticed Rick’s problem. However the beta said nothing, which the alpha found he was extremely grateful for.

 _Something is wrong with me_.

He hadn’t been bitten or scratched though and the alpha couldn’t think of what else could cause his shaking and the agitated feeling that lay beneath his skin.

As the day wore on with every passing hour his hands were getting worse. He made sure leave his gun alone, no longer confident that his hands could handle it safely. It was late afternoon when Michonne came in from the guest house.

That intoxicating scent now overwhelmed him. Rick filled his lungs with it, reveled in it, wanted more than anything to find the source of it and rub the scent into his skin. His actions must have been obvious to the betas. Michonne’s eyes radiated resignation.

“It started but we have a problem.”

Rick almost let out a worried whine. _Oh god, what now_?

“I’m sorry Rick but Carl’s going into rejection.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry we're ending on a slight cliffhanger. I'll try to get the next chapter out asap. As always thank you guys for your comments! I'm always floored that so many people seem to like this fic. One more chapter and then we get to the fun stuff. *winkwink*


	10. Chapter 10: Carl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something is off about the start of Carl's heat.

“I want to keep him safe. That’s all that matters.”

His father’s words resonated in his mind. He knew his dad would do anything to protect him. Memories of the spraying of red blood were proof of that. Maybe now things were much clearer to Carl than they had been.

Neither of them knew how much longer they would live but until they both breathed their last, Rick and Carl would protect each other.

_I’m no longer afraid_.

The nightmare that had woken him vanished as he became aware that his stomach was hurting. Not the dull ache from when he had presented but a steady pang of hunger that was coming on quicker than he had ever felt before.

He knew what starving hunger felt like. It was always a slow rolling ache, but this current pain was sharp and swift.

Michonne seemed to understand that something was off. She ran her hand against his head. Carl jerked away with a hiss. Her touch scalded on his skin. He sat up to see her eyes widen with worry.

“Stay here,” She ordered. Once she had shut the car door behind her, Carl felt fatigue drag him back down. He was hungry and exhausted. It was hard deciding which feeling was worse.

What’s more the omega felt the urge to be near his dad, to hug him and let him know Carl wasn’t afraid of him. Without realizing it, he let a whine loose from his throat. His skin was beginning to feel tight, like his bones wanted to escape from his body.

_What is happening to me? Am I sick_?

The car door opened and Michonne held out a package of crackers. Carl fell on them quick and being eating them without really tasting them.

“Your father and Daryl have gone up ahead a bit. We’re gonna go look for shelter at another town tonight.”

“What about Terminus?” He asked confused.

“It’s not going anywhere. Come on,” She motioned for him to get out of the car.

For a moment stood outside the car and inhaled the multitude of scents in the clearing. He quickly discerned his father’s pine scent which seemed stronger than all the others. Michonne broke him out of his thoughts by handing him a bag.

“Here. They took the heavy ones and left us with these. Come on now, we don’t want to get too far behind.”

Step by step Carl followed the beta. He was still ravenous and felt drained of energy. Every so often Michonne would hand him another piece of food which he would promptly swallow down. As they walked he could still pick out his father’s scent in front of him like a trail.

The scent wasn’t as strong as he would have liked but he still inhaled lungful’s of it when he could. He became aware that every time Michonne handed him more food she was careful not to allow them skin to skin contact.

_She knows what is happening_.

It stung that she was keeping him in the dark but ultimately Carl knew he had to trust her judgment. Finally they came to a new road which they followed until they could see buildings in the distance.

Despite still feeling tired and hungry, Carl pulled out his gun to help clear whatever walkers were there. Michonne had her sword out but continued to hang back. Up ahead they could see his father and Daryl taking care of some walkers that approached them.

“We should go help them,” he tried suggesting to her.

Michonne shook her head. “Not right now. It looks pretty deserted. Guess that’s why we didn’t get any visitors after all that commotion last night.”

She was right of course. The gunshots alone should have attracted a horde of walkers but he couldn’t remember hearing or seeing any. There certainly hadn’t seen many on their walk towards town.

The buildings were nothing more than a small town business districted. The main street was lined with businesses on either side of the road. He watched his dad and Daryl bypass these buildings and head further into town.

_What are they looking for_? He wondered.

The few walkers that popped up were quickly dispensed by the two men. The business buildings gave way to neighborhoods of houses. Still his father and Daryl walked on looking for a specific something. Now Carl’s limbs were starting to feel heavy and all the snacks Michonne continued to feed him didn’t seem to help.

“Hang back a minute,” Michonne ordered after they had walked through a small neighborhood of much larger fancier houses.

She handed him a water bottle, hadn’t he already had two, and instructed him to drink it all. He oddly had no problem accomplishing this task. Agitation caused his hands to twitch nervously against his gun holster.

“What is going on?” Carl’s voice came out whinier than he wanted but he was feeling frustrated with the vagueness.

Michonne gave him a stern look, one he was familiar with. “Wait for just a little bit longer and I’ll explain everything.”

When the alpha and beta broke into a metal gate that was surrounded by a stone wall, Carl began to recognize that they were looking for something secure. But why would they need a secure place when they had been fine staying in the woods…

_Oh_.

“Michonne?” His voice shook.

“Yeah?”

“Am I going into heat?”

Her shoulders visibly fell and a sigh passed her lips. It was all the confirmation Carl needed.

_So…I’m going to go into heat. God, I wish I had read that chapter more thoroughly_.

“I know that this is going to be weird for you but the most important thing right now is that we find protected shelter for the night.”

“But…I…” Carl didn’t know where to start.

“Breathe deeply, Carl.” The beta instructed.

As he followed her advice, the omega felt the strongest pull to go to his father. He needed to feel the comforting touch of the alpha.

Michonne seemed to sense his thoughts. “You have to stay apart Carl.”

Carl looked down as a rush of emotion heated his face.

“I don’t…I’m scared.”

The beta looked as if she wanted to hug him. “I know you are but there is nothing we do now except make sure you’re as safe and as comfortable as we can make you. This fence is pretty huge; it should help keep people out.”

Carl rubbed his arms with his hands together hoping to quell the, now familiar, itching sensation that lay beneath their surface. He remained silent, preferring to try to sort of out the jumble of thoughts in his head.

_I’m going to have to worry about slick and…_

Just thinking about the mechanics of it made his face heat from mortification. He had skipped the chapter about heats because of that embarrassment and now he was stuck with limited amount of knowledge. And he wasn’t about to ask Michonne about it!

_I wish_ …

Daryl had come out of the stone fence and waved them forward. Dutifully Carl followed Michonne through the gate and up the walk to the impressive looking house.

“There’s a guest house round back. There’s not any furniture but I figure we could move a mattress in there,” Daryl immediately told Michonne. Heat returned to Carl’s face.

_I guess they all know_.

Something felt off. His dad knew his heat was starting but hadn’t come to see him yet. What was holding him back?

“Come on, Carl. Let’s get you settled in the guest house.”

The omega shadowed the beta with some part of him hoping that maybe his alpha would be waiting for him in the second house. He tried to hide his disappointment when the house proved empty.

“We’ll get you set up in this front room for your pre-heat time. For now you need to stay in here. Don’t go outside at all.” Michonne ordered.

“But…” Carl started.

Her look was steady. “No, Carl. You can’t go outside. Your hormones are only going to get stronger during this pre-heat phase. We don’t know if the walkers will be attracted to it so we need to keep it contained as much as possible.”

Well that was a thought that hadn’t occurred to Carl. It made sense though. Walkers could smell that you were alive sometimes even if you made no noise. So if the scent of his…heat was strong enough then he supposed it could attract walkers. The thought of the dangerous corpses attacking the group while he was in heat made him shudder. He would hate to put everyone in danger like that.

Carl was feeling less tired and more distressed. When the betas left to bring him supplies from the house, he found himself walking around the room in circles while nervously rubbing his hands against his arms.

He stopped for a moment and looked out the windows towards the front house. For a brief moment he thought he saw the silhouette of his father and a wave of heat flashed through him. As quickly as it had come, it vanished especially when the figure moved before Carl could decipher if it was his alpha he had seen.

A whine came from deep in his throat and Carl bit his lip to quickly stifle it. He watched the betas bring in the mattress and bedding from across the room. The fluttering ache was growing stronger and their scents smelled off to him.

_I want my alpha_.

Time passed without him noticing. At one point in the afternoon the weird heated pain under his skin grew sharp, as if something was being pulled away from him. Carl tried to not to think about what that was when Michonne brought him more food and blankets and informed him that Daryl and his father had gone on a run.

His father’s scent was only weakly clinging to Michonne now. Carl could feel hot tears build up at the loss of it.

_I need_ …

The pain alleviated a bit after a few hours but his general discomfort was growing. He continued to walk around the room, and the entire first floor of the guest house, to try and keep his mind off the ache.

As dusk, Carl’s body switched from the slow heat that had been building to a strange chill. It made him shiver. He ended up burying himself under the blankets on the lone mattress and succumbed to the exhaustion of the day.

When consciousness came to him, he knew he was scorching.

Everything was hot. Sweat layered his skin and he pulled himself out of the cocoon of blankets to expose himself to the cool air. There was a wet feeling coming from between his legs. He tossed and turned trying to grasp at his sanity.

“Carl.” Michonne’s voice was a whisper from the doorway of the room.

The omega nearly hissed at her. The scent was wrong. All wrong. The normal comforting rosemary scent repelled him. It made him sick to this stomach.

“Alpha,” Carl croaked. He turned on this stomach and buried his head in the pillow.

_Where is my alpha? Why can’t I smell him anymore? Why hasn’t he come_?

“Carl, I need you to try and look at me.” The beta’s voice broke no refusal. It pierced though the intense haze in his mind.

“Michonne,” he whined, “I need my alpha.”

“He can’t come here, Carl. You know he can’t. He’s not your alpha. He’s just your father. Listen to my voice Carl. Your pre-heat phase should have lasted longer than it did. I don’t know how long your actual heat will last but it could be up to two to three days.”

In his head her voice made sense. It was clear and precise yet it still felt wrong to him. Where was his alpha?

“Where’s alpha?” Carl whimpered. The feeling of wrongness was beginning to make him feel sick. There was no arousal with his heat as there should be. Without the scent of his alpha, he felt bereft, empty.

What was wrong? Why wouldn’t his alpha appear?

“Carl, you father is not coming during your heat. You’ll have to get through it by yourself,” Had Carl been more aware he would have noticed the panicked edge to Michonne’s voice. But the beta’s words only made him shudder with desolation.

His whines became cries. “Alpha, alpha.”

What had happened? Only a short while ago the alpha had ripped the throat of a rival for him. Desire had been prevalent in the alpha’s deep blue eyes. He had wanted the omega. A flash of arousal ran through Carl at the memory but quickly dissipated with the reminder that his alpha wouldn’t come.

_Alpha doesn’t want me anymore_.

It was the only explanation that made sense to his addled brain. Somehow the alpha had decided he wasn’t a good enough omega for him. Maybe there was another person more important to the alpha than him. Or maybe the omega hadn’t proven a worthy mate.

_He doesn’t want me. I’m not good enough for him. I…I’m not worth anything_.

The omega scratched at the sheets with a burst of energy, trying to rip them into shreds. It hurt so much. To know that his alpha didn’t find him worry to have, to knot, to love. Emotional pain now joined the physical pain burrowing down his body.

“Carl!” Now the beta’s voice no longer registered to the omega. Nothing did. He was only aware of the heated tears that ran down his face.

_He doesn’t want me. He doesn’t want me. He doesn’t want me_.

Carl curled up in a ball, surrendering himself to the growing agonizing pain. With no alpha hormones and no warm reassuring loving touches to help soothe the pain, his heat was going to be nothing but hours of painful spasms.

If he was more aware he would have seen the beta leave the room glancing once more to look at the tortured omega on the makeshift bed. He would have noticed the final look of utter resignation on her face and how she furiously scrubbed away tears in order to pull herself together.

Carl saw none of it.

_I need him. He doesn’t want me. I need him. He doesn’t want me_.

His cries became louder, since there was a part of him that still hoped maybe his alpha would hear. Maybe his alpha would understand his distress and take pity on him. He needed his alpha. He needed…

One more moment of lucidness came to him.

_Daddy, I need you_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All will be reveled next chapter. Also the smut.


	11. Chapter 11: Rick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick makes a difficult decision that ultimately may be the right one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took so long you guys. At nearly 9k words though it was difficult to edit. I have to confess that this is really my first time writing honest to god full blown smut so if it's bad I apologize. 
> 
> Warning: This chapter depicts graphic sexual relations between Rick and Carl. If that is not your cup of tea feel free to go elsewhere on the internet.

“I’m sorry Rick but Carl’s going into rejection.”

Her words stunned Rick so much that his breath caught in his throat. Rejection was dreaded by many parents of omegas. It would mean his heat would be painful and could cause Carl physical and mental trauma. Something didn’t quite make sense though.

“But he can’t be. In order for him to go into rejection he…”

“Would have to be mated to an alpha,” Daryl finished for him.

Michonne regarded the alpha with watery eyes. Rick was at a complete loss.

“Who?” He questioned. There was no way his son could be mated to another alpha without his knowledge.

“Rick,” Daryl whispered gently beside him. The beta placed a hand on the alpha’s shoulder. His face was open but cautious.

“Rick,” this time Michonne spoke, “It’s you.”

Disbelief rocked the alpha to his core. _No. It can’t be_.

“How can you even say that to me?” The alpha growled. His hand twitched for his knife. Fury burned through him.

“Rick,” Daryl started.

“No. _No_!” Rick shouted as he began to pace back and forth in the kitchen. It wasn’t possible. It couldn’t be. He had gotten a hold of himself that night. He hadn’t touched Carl, though he ached to, during his bloodlust haze. There was no way a mating bond had formed then.

“You need to listen to us Rick,” desperation colored Michonne’s voice.

“What you’re saying is impossible! I’ve never touched Carl like that. Ever!” The alpha spat out the words at the betas with eyes blazing with rage.

“Fuck Rick, we know that!” Daryl barked back.

“In the right circumstances a spontaneous bond could have formed between you and Carl,” Michonne tried to explain.

The alpha rubbed at his face in frustration. It wasn’t possible.

“How? When?” He demanded. The betas shared a look.

“Sometime after Lori’s death, I suppose,” Daryl responded softly.

Rick finally stopped his pacing and sunk into one of the kitchen chairs. Could it be true? Had he and Carl formed a mating bond without knowing it? It seemed completely impossible.

He tried to think back in the weeks following Lori’s death. His memory recalled the ache of her loss and the conflicting problems to their survival caused by his mourning process. At some point the ache had vanished. If he was remembering it properly, it happened after they had taken in Woodbury survivors in.

One day the empty feeling had dissipated into the cool calmness he felt whenever his hand ran through his son’s hair or touched his neck... But no, that hadn’t meant they had bonded.

“I think it really started after the Woodbury group joined us.” Michonne leaned back against the wall. “And after Hershel started you on the farming. When I came back from that second trip, I noticed that something had changed you. You were more relaxed and calm despite everything that had happened. At the time I didn’t really think much about it but…”

Her voice trailed off and once again Daryl picked up her words.

“I noticed it too Rick. You and Carl got along better. I also noticed you both touched each other a lot especially you touching Carl’s neck.

Rick whirled on the male beta with a snarl. “And you didn’t say anything?”

“Dammit Rick! What was I supposed to say? ‘Hey Rick, just thought I let you know that you’re treating your unpresented son like he was your omega mate.’ I’m sure that would have gone over well.”

The sarcasm was bitter in the beta’s voice. Reluctantly Rick could understand Daryl’s position. His reaction probably wouldn’t have been any better at that time.

_I can’t believe this is happening_.

Or maybe he could. Only two nights ago he had nearly lost all his control and reached for his child to claim. Maybe the reason those feelings had been so strong was because a bond already existed between them.

“This is all wrong.” Rick buried his face in his hands. The same odd agitation he had felt the previous day was coming back worse than before.

“Rick, the shaking…” Michonne questioned. “How long as it been going on?”

The alpha refused to answer.

“At least since yesterday afternoon,” Daryl responded for him. Rick growled low in his throat causing both betas to still. Now the alpha was completely on edge.

_So if a bond exists between Carl and me_ …

“Then if what you’re saying is true, I’m the reason Carl is going into rejection.”

Neither beta spoke. Rick understood the silent agreement to his question. So that was it. They both believed a spontaneous bond had tethered his son to him in the way usually reserved for mated couples.

“Rick, I don’t want to make this worse for you. With every passing hour Carl is without you, he runs the risk of hurting himself.”

Panic gushed through his brain. “His gun?”

“I took it and his knife. There isn’t really anything he could hurt himself other than the blankets. It will be a few hours before we have to worry about him becoming suicidal. But it’s more than that Rick.”

“Well what is it then?” the alpha spat.

Ignoring the alpha’s rage, Michonne continued, “Some omega’s can have complete mental breakdowns from rejection.”

Rick could feel himself start to break down. What was he going to do? Could he really go in there and…?

“I don’t know what to do,” the fight had drained from him leaving only a shell of a man faced with a difficult decision.

After a moment Daryl came into his direct eyesight by kneeling at his feet. A shudder went through Rick at the clear sign of submission the beta was showing.

“Rick, I want you understand that I won’t…I won’t think any different of you if you choose to go in there.”

It was a comforting sentiment that did nothing to help Rick’s internal conflict.

“Could you really? Could you live knowing that the man you follow is mated to his own child?”

The beta continued to look straight into his eyes. “Yes, because I know that you care for us Rick. I know you cared for all us in the prison. But I also know that Carl will always come first. That there will never be anyone you love more than you love Carl. I know that. I accept that and this is just a part of that.”

Only sincerity shined from the hunter’s blue eyes. They were darker than his own and certainly darker than the pale blue of Carl’s eyes.

_Carl_.

“Michonne, what about you?” Rick looked up at the dark-skinned woman. Of all the people of the prison, Michonne had become one of the most important. She understood him and many of the decisions he made.

Her eyes reflected only uncertainly. “There’s a part of me that wishes I could have spared you and Carl this Rick. I noticed when I met up with you guys at the house that something had changed between you. It was more obvious with Carl than you but I wasn’t sure I could believe what I was seeing.”

“What do you mean it was more obvious with Carl?”

The beta bit her lip. “His mannerisms were that of an omega trying to keep an alpha’s attention. I kept hoping that it wasn’t a big deal that maybe he would stop but it kept on. It was after our encounter with Joe’s group that I accepted that it was truly a possibility that you had bonded.”

This wasn’t making it any easier on Rick.

“I don’t think I can do it. I don’t think I can go in there and…I mean he’s half out of his mind with the heat. He can’t really consent to…”

Michonne’s face hardened. “You can. You have to take it slow. First use your scent to bring him back to himself. Once he regains his lucidity, you can ask him for his consent.”

“He’s just a kid!” Rick shouted. “It doesn’t matter if he says yes! He’s only fifteen, goddammit!”

_He’s not old enough to make that decision. I can’t take advantage of him_.

This time Michonne shouted right back at him. “My god Rick, Carl nearly committed suicide to stay with you the least you can do is not treat him like a kid!”

Daryl gasped from where he sat.

Rick stuttered, “What are you…”

“That night before I found you at the house. Carl told me what happened. He thought you had turned and he couldn’t shoot you. He told me that he was going to let you eat him because he couldn’t be without you.”

“Jesus,” Daryl swore. The hunter stood and walked to stand by Michonne.

“I did everything I could to help you two but I think I understand now that it was too late. You two have had a bond with each other for a lot longer than before that night.”

So there it was. Michonne utterly believed that they were bonded. He knew deep down she was right. Memories from that day after Michonne had knocked at their door all pointed to the same conclusion. But now what was Rick to do?

Daryl’s words rang true as well. There was no one in the world more important to him than Carl. It had probably been that way for a good long while. Whatever lingering feelings he had felt for Lori paled in comparison to the fierce protective love for his son that beat within his chest. Even his love for Judith had never shined as brightly compared to his love for Carl, his son, his omega.

His alpha instincts knew it to. Daryl was right. Before prison fell Rick did his best to keep his son possessively by his side. He could recall multiple times when he had rubbed his hand against the teen’s pale neck, a gesture of comfort but also one of dominance. He hadn’t recognized that Carl was going to be omega at the time but perhaps his intuition had known.

A small trickle of heat filled him at the memory of his bloodlust the night with the claimers. Of the sight of the omega’s eyes filled with intense longing. Of the burn, the pull, the _need_ to hold his omega in his arms close and to bury his cock that warm heat.

_You need him_ , a voice in his head told him. _You need your omega_.

The voice was right. He needed his mate. Lori had been wife but never his mate. She had turned away from him, severing their weak connection. Closing his eyes, Rick concentrated and he could feel a pulsing warmth inside him, it was his bond with Carl.

_No more hesitation. My omega needs me_.

He opened his eyes and both betas immediately knew he had come to a decision.

“You’ll need these,” Michonne reached into her pocket and pulled out a small bag filled with little yellow pills.

“Are those…” Daryl started.

“Yes,” the female beta opened the back and put a single pill in Rick’s outstretched hand.

“They’re Cepta pills.”

“How on earth did you find those?” Daryl voice was colored with awe.

Rick could do nothing but stare at the pill in his hand.

“I found it in one of the houses Carl and I went through before Joe’s group showed up. At the time I hoped I would never have to use them but I took and kept them on me at all times just the same.”

Cepta pills were the rarest and most controversial form of contraception. Rick could remember how much fuss these small yellow pills caused. The pills were for alphas and lowered the potency of an alpha’s sperm. Shane had once attempted to get his hands on some, unsuccessfully.

“Carl…” Michonne wavered. “Carl and I had a discussion about omega pregnancy. He decided that he would never want to have children.”

That made sense to Rick. Omega’s delivered by C-sections and Carl was there when Lori…yes he completely understood that. The way things were it was best he used the Cepta pills.

Rick didn’t bother getting water, he simply dry-swallowed the pill and took the offered bag of extras. He would need to periodically take another to make sure the drug’s potency remained in his body.

“Take this bag,” Daryl handed Rick a duffle and small electric lamp. “There’s supplies for both of you. You probably won’t be needing to eat much but you will need to stay hydrated.”

_It seems so easy_.

Just like that both Michonne and Daryl accepted that this would be happening. Something about that left Rick feeling stronger from their loyalty.

“Thank you, both of you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

He grasped a hold of Daryl’s shoulder and made eye contact with Michonne.

“We’ll stay here and keep watch. If something happens we may have to come get you,” the female beta warned.

“Understood,” Rick responded as he shouldered the bag.

His hands no longer shook and in fact he felt a tranquil calmness flow through his mind and body. It was as if his body knew he was no longer fighting against his natural instinct. Leaving the main house, Rick walked the short distance to the guest house using the dim lamp light and moonlight as his guide.

Before going inside he stopped to take a deep breath. Was he doing the right thing? Could he live with himself for what he was about to do?

Faintly he could hear cries coming from within the house. A wave of emotions swept over him. Worry, doubt, tenderness, and possessiveness all mixed to the ultimate conclusion. There was nothing more right than being with the person he loved most.

Upon opening the door, Rick was overwhelmed by a sweet intoxicating scent that was laced with a slight edge of bitterness. He moved through the hall, the cries getting louder has he got closer. Stopping in the doorway he found the omega curled in a ball on the mattress.

The alpha dropped the bag and lamp on the floor before walking cautiously over to the bed and kneeling before his son.

“Carl,” He kept his voice soft as to not startle the teenager.

Hearing his voice and, Rick assumed, smelling his scent stopped the omega’s cries. Carl lifted his head showing tear stains marring the freckled cheeks. Carl’s eyes were dilated wide.

“Al…alpha?”

Rick slowly reached down to place his hand on the omega’s neck, rubbing gentle circles into the dampened skin.

“Yes, I’m here. I’m so sorry,” the alpha murmured.

“Alpha,” the omega moaned.

“Listen to my voice Carl. We need to take care of you. I need to get your mind clear.”

The omega only crooned back while moving forward to rub his ahead against the alpha’s leg. Soft whimpers were still coming from the teen’s throat but they lacked the desperation of the earlier cries.

Rick quickly checked over the boy allowing his hands to run down the slim body. Carl’s pants were still on but his shirt had been half ripped off. The older man swallowed at the sight of one pink nipple visible under a rip.

“Alpha, don’t leave me,” Carl murmured again.

The alpha bent over to press their foreheads together.

“I’m not leaving ever again.” Their faces were so close. The heaving pants of the omega softened to deeper calmer breaths to match his father’s. Carl’s eyes fluttered shut and for a few minutes, Rick soaked in the sweet scent of the omega’s hormones. Now the bitterness was gone leaving behind a heady scent that made his head spin.

His hands continued to massage down the smaller body, through the dampened hair, and especially rubbing against the back of the omega’s neck. Heat began to pool deep in Rick’s body with every lungful of breath he took.

“D..dad?”

Rick’s eyes shot open to directly stare into the pale blue of Carl’s. Now his son’s eyes were visibly clearer and no longer clouded with tears.

“Carl, how are you doing?” Rick began to shift up but was quickly stopped when Carl grabbed at his shirt.

“No, don’t go,” his son whimpered.

“I already told you I’m not goin’ anywhere, sweetheart.”

The teen made a sharp inhale at the term of endearment. It was noticeable that the pain that had earlier been so prevalent in the omega’s body language was gone.

“What’s going to happen?”

This was it. The most important conversation they would ever have with each other.

“Carl, I need to ask you a very important question but I first have to tell you something.” The alpha helped the omega up to a sitting position.

Looking straight in his son’s eyes, Rick decided to just get it over with.

“Carl, at some point in the last year a bond formed between you and me.”

“A bond?”

“A…mating bond,” Rick finished. The omega went still.

“Oh,” was the soft response.

“I know. Daryl thinks it may have happened a while ago.”

The omega’s eyes flicked up and the light flush that had decorated the pale cheeks became darker.

“Daryl and Mich…Michone know?”

Rick found himself rubbing the back of the omega’s neck.

“Yeah. They both suspected before I did.”

“So what does this mean?”

“It means that…what was just happening to you was rejection. I don’t know how much you read in that book of yours. Do you remember what rejection is?”

The omega shook his head. His breaths were coming slightly faster now and he shifted his legs to hide the fact that he was half-hard. Rick did a quick intake of breathe and could smell the arousal now emanating from the teen.

_I need to make this quick_.

“Rejection happens when an alpha doesn’t help their mated omega through heat. It can cause the omega to have physical and mental issues.”

Carl buried his head in his hands. “That’s what just happened to me wasn’t it. Since…since we’re mated and you hadn’t come,” his words came out in whimpers.

“Yes and I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have stayed away.” A soft sob was the only response he got.

“Hey, it’s going to be okay,” Rick reached forward to hug his son but was stopped by a hand on his chest.

“So you don’t want to be my alpha right? That’s why you’re telling me this,” The bitter scent was coming back.

“No! I do but Carl we have to talk about this. It’s not…I want…but you…” All of the sudden Rick couldn’t find the words he needed.

“I don’t want to take advantage of you.” He finally managed through clenched teeth.

That got the omega’s attention. Carl looked up with his hands still resting on this dad’s chest.

“I…” the teen lapped into silence.

For a moment they just stayed like that. Rick kneeling at arm’s length from his son and Carl’s face a myriad of different emotions.

Rick brought his hand up and began to rub gentle circles to the back of Carl’s hands. The movement seemed to free Carl who took a deep breath then looked up to meet his father’s eyes.

“I…I want this. I want to be with you. I’ve been thinking about it since that night. I don’t…want to be with any other alpha for the rest of my life. I just want you.”

The alpha cautiously moved forward to wrap his arms around his son. Carl’s hands went around his father’s neck. Now their scents were mixing, warm and sweet. Rick broke the hug to cup the pale cheeks and rub at the tears stains.

“It’s going to be okay now.” His voice was soft and he hoped Carl could hear how sincere his reassurance was. They sat staring into each other’s eyes until Carl licked his lips. The scent of arousal now doubled.

Moving ever so slowly, Rick gently pressed his lips against Carl’s. The alpha expected to feel countless negative emotions at their touch. Instead he felt the agitation that had been bothering him for so long vanish under the delicate yielding of the omega’s plump lips.

A whimper escaped those lips which the alpha swallowed with a shudder. He did his best to deepen the kiss though the omega’s lips moved awkwardly.

Contentment purred deep in the alpha’s chest at the omega’s clumsiness. The unexperienced movements highlighted that the omega had never known another’s touch.

_No one else will ever have him_.

The kiss broke off with a slight gasp from both. Carl’s eyes were lidded with heat and his pale skin was turning pink from the rubbing of Rick’s beard on that sensitive skin.

_I can’t believe he’s mine_.

With Carl clutching at Rick’s shirt, the alpha went in for another kiss. This time he molded their mouths together trying to teach the teenager how to find that blissful balance. Gently Rick’s tongue traced the outline of those full lips until they yielded.

It was still awkward; the meshing of tongues a messy affair when one was unexperienced. Eventually Carl began to feel out what felt good and matched the demanding lips and teeth of his father even going so far as to suck on his father’s bottom lip.

This time the gasp was louder when they separated. Rick could feel the ache from his erection pressing against his pants. Unable to help himself the alpha bent to nip at his son’s neck, in that perfect junction where neck met collarbone.

The teen gave a long out whine and bent his head back in pure submission. The alpha teased that spot leaving a sizeable mark that he would return to worry at with his teeth again and again.

“Let’s get you more comfortable,” Rick rasped. The omega in his arms quivered at the sound.

The older man tugged at the shirt that was already hanging off one bony shoulder. Angry when the buttons wouldn’t give, he simply ripped at it not caring as buttons flew every way. Carl’s blue eyes widened in surprise and his breath hitched sharply.

Rick then pulled up the second shirt and threw it to his right where he could see the boy’s hat, which had long been discarded, lay. In the dim moonlight that came in one window, the alpha’s eyes greedily followed up the slim chest to the slightly pebbled pink nubs.

Feeling breathless from that delicious sight, he licked his lips to wet them. First he ran teased gently touches across that soft skin; somehow always pale despite all the time Carl had spent in the sun. He scrapped a fingernail across one nipple and was rewarded with a keening sound.

“Da..d,” Carl cried out. The teen’s hips were undulating in frustration. Blood was buzzing in Rick’s ears but he forced himself to take deep breaths to help with his control.

“Uh uh,” the alpha darkly chuckled. “We’re doing this my way. I want to take my time and enjoy my mate.”

As his hands began to unbutton the obstructing jeans, Rick bent down to flick is tongue out at the closest nipple. The omega’s back arched into the touch so the alpha continued to suckle at the nub. Now Carl’s hips were frantically thrusting forward trying to find relief and he gave a ragged moan at the exquisite torture.

“Mo…more,” the teen panted with heavy breaths.

Grinning, Rick continued to nip and suck at that peak while teasing the other with his hand. He eventually switched to make sure that other nipple got the same attention.

“Stop teasing,” Carl’s begged.

If possible Rick’s grin grew larger. He flicked his eyes up to look at the omega’s face and reveled in the lust reflected in his son’s bright eyes.

Finally the jeans were undone. Could Rick help if it had taken longer than he wanted thanks to the distraction of other succulent body parts?

_Patience_ , his mind cautioned him. _The omega has never known another’s touch. Give him pleasure first before taking yours_.

It was sound advice to himself though Rick wondered how long he could hold with Carl looking utterly debauched and wanton. It also didn’t help that the alpha was growing intensely drunk on the heavy hormones in the air.

Tracing one hand down the slender body, the alpha reached into the open jeans to gently squeeze at the omega’s cock through his underwear the front of which was already damp from pre-cum.

A sharp cry of ecstasy was ripped from the omega’s mouth that made Rick shudder in response.

“It’s okay,” Rick purred to the teen. “Let me help you through it.”

“Nnnh,” was the only response he got as he began to slide his hand down the heated member through the cloth. The wet spot grew larger under Rick’s ministrations; the scent of arousal so intense that it was beginning to make the alpha feel lightheaded.

“How does that feel, baby?”

“So good,” Carl whined.

Deciding that he could take it a step further, Rick pulled the boy’s underwear and jeans down past his thighs. Even in the dim light his eyes drank in the sight of boy’s hardened cock jutting against his stomach. It was long and slender with beads of pre-cum smeared on its head.

The alpha’s mouth grew heavy with a desire to feel it’s weight in his mouth but quickly reigned in that craving for another time. For now he used one finger to delicately trace the bulbous head coating the pre-cum even further down the shaft.

“Daddy!” Carl shuddered.

_Well isn’t that the most arousing thing I’ve ever heard_?

It certainly was the most damning. Any remaining doubts that may have lingered through the haze of arousal were swept aside by the omega’s provocative cries.

“Yes, baby boy I know. Let me help you.” Rick’s voice was a deep purr. He twisted his fingers up and down the hard flesh inciting frantic cries from the teen.

It only took a few minutes of Rick’s firm touch for Carl’s hips to jerk as he came coating his lower stomach with white stripes. The omega babbled nonsensically as he came and Rick couldn’t help but reach down to nip at those full lips for another filthy opened mouth kiss.

Rick rumbled deep in his chest as Carl’s fingers combed through the alpha’s damp curls.

“You’re still dressed,” the omega pouted.

“Well let’s remedy that, shall we?” Rick grinned as smaller hands began to tug at this shirt, clumsily but insistent. Together they worked to divest the alpha of his both his shirts.

Rick found himself shying away from the light; afraid his scars would be unattractive to his beautiful son. As if sensing his thoughts, Carl’s eyes met his. The teen shifted up in order to place a tentative kiss on one of his scars.

Encouraged by the hearing the alpha’s breath hitch, the omega began peppering delicate kisses across Rick’s chest. Every kiss made the older man’s heart pound harder. When playful teeth bit at his right nipple, Rick growled low in his throat.

A searching hand trailed down his stomach muscles in a caress that was just too light but left a frisson of heat in its wake.

“Now who’s being the tease?” Rick lightly pushed Carl back down onto the mattress to cover the slim form with his own. His time the alpha allowed his hips to grind down to where the teen’s erection had returned. Each slide of their erections created a searing heat throughout the alpha’s body.

“Daddy, take your clothes off,” Carl growled as his smaller fingers struggled to get the alpha’s jeans off.

Grinning wide, Rick gently pushed the omega back in order to strip himself of his remaining clothes and to tug at the omega’s pants which still clung to lean thighs. The seat of the pants were damp from slick. Now that the omega was complete bare, the alpha’s eyes feasted on every inch of that pale skin. It was a magnificent feast that sparked something animalistic in Rick.

“You look so good, baby.” Without wasting another second, Rick ran his hands down those pale legs, enjoying them shuddering underneath his touch, then separated them so he could settle his own hips in-between them.

The moment the alpha slotted their bodies together, Carl’s hips jerked up. Matching groans echoed as their hard cocks rubbed together.

“More.” Carl grasped onto his father’s shoulders for leverage in order to thrust up again. Pleasure shot through his body as they found a frantic rhythm. Suddenly he felt Carl scratch his nails down his chest.

“Wait,” the teenager moaned. Rick immediately froze and lifted his hips off of Carl’s.

“Are you okay?” The alpha panted, his body shaking from the effort to contain himself. Worry for his mate took precedence over his own selfish pleasure.

“Yes, but I…” The omega’s voice trailed off.

“Don’t be afraid. Say what you want sweetheart,” Rick crooned.

Pale blue eyes flickered down his father’s body to eye at the alpha’s erection. A pink tongue sinfully swiped across those full pink lips.

“I wanna touch you.” Long fingers trailed down the older man’s chest but stopped at his stomach as if waiting for permission.

“I’m as much yours as you are mine. Do whatever you want.” Rick shifted to lie on his side next to Carl in order to give the teen more access. Concentration blazed on the omega’s face as he began to trail both hands down his father’s stomach towards his hips.

Rick was distracted by the sheen of sweat visible on that pale neck and his mouth went dry with the desire to lick up some of those enticing droplets.

Softly Carl’s hands finally began to explore his father’s cock by running his fingers down the pulsing vein. A deep groan released from the alpha’s throat at the gentle touches that made him shiver with exhilaration but still managed to be not quite enough.

“Don’t be afraid to use a little more pressure,” gritted the alpha from behind clenched teeth. The hands obeyed and increased the explorative pressure. What Rick hadn’t been anticipating was for Carl to dip is head and to lick at the pre-cum covered slit.

“Fuck!” Rick couldn’t express the expletive if he wanted to. His son looked up at him with impish eyes.

“Was that too much for you, dad?” came the innocent question.

_Innocent my ass_ , Rick thought.

“I can handle anything you got.” Carl’s eyes narrowed at the challenge before giving his father a bright grin and moving back down to swirl his tongue around slick head.

More swear words were released when the omega swallowed down as much as the alpha’s cock and gave a tentative suck.

“So good baby,” Rick cooed encouragingly. He shuddered at the wet heat that was leaving waves of heat in its wake.

The teenager began to bob his head down the heated shaft, his enthusiasm making up for his clear inexperience. Still Carl knew to be careful with his teeth and he didn’t try to force it all down his throat at once.

Even in the dim light, Rick did his best to keep his eyes trained on watching his son. Between the heat of that warm mouth and the sight of those reddened, swollen lips taking him in, the alpha knew he wasn’t going to last much longer. Already he could feel white hot pleasure pulsing low in his belly.

“Nnngh. Fuck Carl. I’m gonna come,” he panted while his hands grasped at Carl’s sweaty hair. With a truly obscene pop, the teenager pulled his mouth from his father’s cock despite Rick’s growl of displeasure.

“That’s kind of the point,” was all the omega said before he resumed swallowing and sucking with even more gusto.

The rippling pleasure finally peaked and Rick pulled back on Carl’s hair to get the omega to back off. The result was the splatter of white across the omega’s lips, cheek, neck, and chest.

_Marked as he should be_ , his alpha instincts purred.

“I could have swallowed,” the omega pouted.

“I have no doubt you could have,” Rick answered with a slight chuckled. “But it’s your first time and I want to go easy on you.”

Carl used a single finger to suck swipe some cum from his cheek to suck on. Rick couldn’t help but groan as the sight made his heart begin to pound again.

“You’re trying to kill me I swear.”

The omega gave him a coquettish look. Pulling the teen up, the alpha used his tongue to lap at his own come. Despite the bitter taste, the licks soon became open mouth kisses between the two. The heat of the teen’s revived erection rubbed against Rick’s thigh. He knew it was time to make sure the omega got what he especially needed.

Rick hands went around, tracing down the omega’s spine until he reached the swell of his son’s ass. The omega’s crack was a mess of slick that was still coming from the puckered hole.

“I think it’s time we get to the main event.”

The alpha trailed a single finger against the creased opening causing Carl to keen loudly. With a jerky movement, the omega tried to roll over on his stomach.

Rick shuddered intensely at the sight of the omega trying to present his ass on his hands and knees but his mind reminded him of the promise he had made earlier.

_Slowly, for his sake and yours_.

“No, baby. Not that position. Not yet.” Rick tried to gently roll Carl back over on his back but was shocked when the teen growled and snapped at his father’s hands.

“No! I need it this way. Now!” Petulance colored the omega’s growl.

Rick’s alpha instincts roared in his ears at the disobedience. He squeezed a tight hold on the smaller body and physically pulled the omega on his back. Gripping those thin wrists hard, Rick pinned them above the omega’s head.

Carl’s eyes were wide with shock but a light blush colored his cheeks and neck.

“You forget you’re not in charge,” Rick snarled. He felt Carl’s hips giving shallow thrusts against his leg. Thinking that the omega was trying to dislodge him, Rick moved to hold both bony wrists in one hand and used the other hand to wrap around the omega’s neck, growling deep in his throat, demanding submission.

The slight thrusts didn’t stop. It was then the alpha realized that the movement and the deepening flush that now painted the omega’s neck and chest were a sign that Carl was enjoying being held down.

Arousal poured into every part of his body at that realization.

_Such a perfect omega_.

After filing away Carl’s apparent preference for being treated roughly for another day, Rick bent to give a hard nip to the mark on the omega’s collarbone.

“I know what you’re feeling right now but you have to obey me. You’ve never done…anything like take a cock before. We’re going to have to take it slow.”

At the word slow, the omega let out a whine but Rick gave him a stern look which quieted him down.

“I know,” The omega stuttered, “but I just…I need…”

“I’m going to take care of you baby.” The body below him gave another shudder at that. He released his grip on the omega’s wrists and sat up to kneel in between those spread legs. Lifting Carl’s legs up, he gently ran his fingers against the boy’s hard cock then down below his balls to gently rub at the slick opening.

The skin beneath his touch fluttered and clenched in anticipation.

“Sorry,” Carl whispered as he bit down on his bottom lip, reddening it further.

“Don’t be sorry. It’s going to feel weird at first. I have to prepare you so there’ll be less pain.”

While Rick wasn’t huge, he knew his cock and knot were sizeable especially compared to the smaller lithe form of his son.

Using one hand to spread a fleshy cheek, Rick spat on finger and began to gently tease it around the opening. Slick clear liquid eked out under his touch helping sooth the way past that tight muscle. With a slight push he breached the opening and paused. His eyes flickered up to watch Carl’s face.

The teen’s nose was slightly scrunched as if in discomfort.

“Talk to me baby. Tell me how it feels,” Rick instructed.

The teen squirmed under the alpha’s intense gaze. “Feels weird but not…bad.”

Lightly Rick pressed the finger further in, marveling at the velvety heat he felt. His cock ached to be buried in that sinful warmth but he reined in those urges for now.

_Soon_ , a voice echoed in his mind.

“I’m going to work you through it. Let me know when you’re ready for more.” Rick pulled his finger out before pressing back in. Carl made a little noise in his throat at the more forceful intrusion. His hips continued to make small shifting motions to adjust to the new sensations.

Once Carl had adjusted, he acquiesced to another finger. Rick continued to use his salvia, as well as making sure his fingers were coated with slick, as he added a second and third finger. Each time he waited to give Carl time to adjust as he stretched and pressed in. His hand shook from the exertion of his movements but he continued on.

By three fingers, Carl’s hips were thrusting in time with Rick’s fingers in an obvious sign of pleasure. Indeed Rick could feel Carl’s inside clenching and tightening when the alpha’s hands brushed over that certain spot.

When Rick rubbed at the omega’s prostate, Carl threw his head back exposing the sinuous line of his neck. The alpha couldn’t help but lean down to suck at the presented skin.

“Feels good. Want more,” Carl begged.

Rick pulled his fingers out and added a fourth when he pressed back in. The teen let out a sharp cry at the added girth.

“We’re so close baby. Soon you’ll take my cock and my knot. I’ll fill you as you were meant to be filled. My beautiful mate.” Rick’s voice was thick and deep and his words continued in a crescendo. Now the omega’s hips were jerking even harder with each thrust of the alpha’s hand. It was then the older man knew the teen was ready.

“You can turn over now. It’s time.”

The omega wasted no time in scrambling on his hands and knees with his ass presented in the hair while he buried his head in the mattress. Even in the darkness the sight of the pale ass spread and presented for him, made more blood rush to Rick’s erection.

With his cock slick with spit and slick, the alpha indulged in rubbing the reddened head of his shaft down his son’s slick asscrack. Carl let out a whimper when he felt the heated member rub against his opening without going in.

Before the teen could say anything, Rick pulled his son’s hips close and guided the head of his cock past the tight ring of muscle. A slightly pained gasp from the form below him reminded him that he needed to slow down.

With every muscle quivering with strain, the alpha slowly pushed his cock in that silky heat. His hands held a bruising grip on his mate’s shuddering thighs in order to help him keep his control. Finally he filled the omega’s ass with as much as his cock as he could.

“Ha…How are you doing?” Rick managed to grit out.

Carl’s hips were making small undulations that were driving white hot pleasure to flash up Rick’s spine.

“It’s…it’s…” The omega panted. “It’s perfect.”

Warmth of a different kind flooded Rick at that. _Yes, it is perfect. He was always meant to be yours_.

Rick started out with small thrusts to allow Carl to adjust to his girth. Muscles burning from the strain, his thrusts gradually became stronger as he pulled out further to sink back in.

“More, daddy,” the omega keened.

Given permission, Rick pulled out leaving only the tip in before thrusting harder back in. The omega swore even as his hips pushed back to meet his father’s thrusts.

“That’s right baby, just keep matching me. You’re such a good boy.” Filth continued to spill from the alpha’s lips which only seem to incite the omega more. At one point, Rick paused fully seated in order to rake his eyes over the nimble form beneath him.

In the damp yellow light of the lamp, still in the corner of the room, the lithe form under him glowed with sweat and other fluids. Carl’s head was turned resting against the mattress with his mouth wide open. The omega’s breath was desperate pants coming from swollen and bruised lips. When a particular strong thrust had brushed against that spot inside that made electricity swell to every part of his body, the omega would bite down on his lip or his hand to stifle his cries.

Rick made sure to pull that hand away from the teen’s mouth.

“I want to hear you come apart on my knot.” He rasped.

Rick’s hips resumed a faster pace, the alpha was now sure of where to undulate his hips to hit his son’s prostate and wring out more exclamations of pleasure. The alpha lost all sense of time until he finally felt himself crest towards climax.

First he made sure to wrap a strong hand around Carl’s still hard cock and stroke it in time with his thrusts. With a final obscene keen, the omega spilled over below to the mussed sheets.

Rick’s hips continued to pump once, twice before an explosion of the white heat of orgasm washed over him. As his knot began to fill, the alpha bent over the omega to bite down hard on the junction where neck met shoulder.

The omega gave a shattering cry as the skin broke. The metallic taste of blood sprayed into Rick’s mouth as his knot caught in the omega’s hole. For a brief moment Rick could only see white behind his eyes as the intensity of both his orgasm and the completion of the bond settled under his skin.

A sharp pain on his left wrist brought him back into consciousness. He suddenly was aware that somehow the omega had grabbed his left wrist and had bitten it at the same time Rick had bitten him. Something about the bleeding mark though made heat settle in his chest.

_Yes, you marked him and he marked you_. _The bond is complete_.

“Mine,” Rick growled deep in his chest as he pulled them both on their side. His knot pulsed in the omega’s warm hole. Carl made small noises of protest when it tugged a bit so Rick made sure to still his hips. With his heartbeat beginning to slow and his body cooling, Rick laved at the bite mark to sooth the bleeding.

With a quick move, Carl twisted his head around to meet his father’s lips in a crushing open mouth kiss. The broke off while the alpha’s hands traced down the omega’s body in sweeping caresses.

“How are you doing?” Rick’s voice was thick with fatigue.

“Hmmm,” was the only response he got as the omega rubbed his head back against the older man’s chest. He winced though when he jolted a bit too hard which again pulled at the skin where they were tied.

“Hey there, be careful. It may be a while before it goes down. Until then we can cool ourselves down until the next time.”

With his head slightly turned, Rick could see the omega’s eyes grow large. Rick couldn’t help but grin at his son’s reaction. He bent to lick and suck at the mark on the omega’s neck again then moved slowly suck at his nape and bury his head in his son’s hair.

“I never knew sex could be that…” Carl paused, “Intense.”

Rick chuckled. “Depends on the person your with I think.”

Carl’s body suddenly froze before tensing. Sensing that he had said something wrong, Rick used both hands to gently run his hands through the omega’s damp brown hair and across his neck.

“Carl, please talk to me. We’re…we’re mates now. Don’t be afraid to tell me what you’re thinking.”

The teen shifted his legs a bit this time causing Rick to hiss as his knot was pulled into an uncomfortable position.

“I’m sorry!” Carl blurted and he began to shift around again. Realized his son was getting worked up, Rick used one hand to hold firmly onto the omega’s neck while the other grabbed at his hip and pulled his body back to a more comfortable position for both.

“There now. No harm done,” Rick tried to make his voice as soothing as he could.

Still the omega didn’t speak and Rick was beginning to worry that something was seriously wrong. Had he been wrong about completing their bond? Was Carl having second thoughts about their relationship changing?

The teen seemed to sense his father’s tension and finally spoke.

“It’s not you…I just…” the teen stuttered to find his words.

“Don’t rush yourself.”

“I just…you said it depends on the person your with, right?”

“Yeah. What of it?”

“I never thought I would ever have sex like that but have you before had sex like that with…” As the omega’s voice trailed off, Rick finally understood the hesitancy.

“You mean was it like that with…” Rick paused for a second. He finally finished simply with, “Lori.”

Rick knew it was fucking weird to bring up the mother of his child when his cock was still buried in his son’s asshole.

_It was bound to come up sooner or later. Might as well address it sooner_.

He could feel his knot begin to soften, as if his body understood that their conversation had taken a decisive turn.

“Here let me take care of this first,” Rick ordered. He pulled the omega’s ass cheeks apart in order circle the puckered hole. It only took another few minutes before his knot had softened enough for him to pull out. As if on cue, liquid gushed from the swollen red hole.

Rick’s mouth went dry from the desire to lean down and lap at those juices but remembering that there was something far more important he needed to take care of, he squashed that craving.

Now separated, Rick could roll his mate over so that they were facing each other. Apprehension made the omega’s face seem older with weariness. The alpha found himself determined to sooth that look.

With their bodies now facing each other, Rick slowly leaned in; making sure that Carl could object if he wanted. When there was no resistance, the older man caught the swollen lips in his and softly coaxed those lips into surrender beneath his.

The younger’s mouth yielded but not without some gentle nips to Rick’s own bottom lip. Just that simple act made warmth flood the alpha’s chest. He lost track as to how long their make-out session lasted but eventually the pre-light of dawn began to shine through the windows.

Rick stopped to rest his forehead against Carl’s causing their heated breaths to spread across each other’s mouths.

“This is all going to be new for both of us but I want to promise you something.” Rick made sure that Carl’s bright blue eyes were staring directly into his. “I promise that I will always try to be completely honest with you about everything. You’re my mate now and not just my son. I may have kept things from you in the past as part of my job as your dad but I won’t any longer. As my mate you are my equal and I will do my best to treat you as such.”

Those pale blue depths gleamed with multiple emotions but Rick waited to see what Carl would respond with. He was only slightly surprised when the omega wrapped his arms around his father’s body and rubbed his face into his father’s neck.

“I’d like that. Everything you said. I won’t keep anything from you either.” The omega’s voice was muffled. “I’m just…I don’t want to be a replacement for…mom.” He stuttered over that last part.

“No, Carl. You’re not anyone’s replacement. I told you Lori and I never really had a bond. Not even a real alpha/beta bond. We…I don’t think we were every meant to really be together but I’m so glad we did or else I wouldn’t have you in my arms right now.”

Carl made, what Rick assumed, was a happy squeak before he trailed butterfly soft kisses up his father’s neck and jaw to lightly brush their lips together.

“There’s still a lot we have to talk about, isn’t there?” Carl asked once they had separated.

Rick nodded. “Our relationship may only get more complicated from here, not to mention the reaction of anyone we meet.”

They would have to discuss if they were going to open about the fact that they were mates in front of other people or if they would keep it strictly between themselves and Michonne and Daryl. Either option was going to make life difficult for all of them. Hopefully they would be able to come up with a safe decision.

“How about you get some shut eye for a little while? It won’t be too long before your body will let us know when it needs to be knotted again.”

Indeed already Rick could smell that sharp sweet scent of arousal coming from the omega. Soon the teen would be hard again and his hips would arch with need to be filled with his mate’s cum.

The omega stretched languidly before curling up into his father’s body. Small puffs of air from his breath caressed Rick’s neck. The alpha lazily ran his hands up and down the willowy form. As daylight began to flood the room, Rick took the opportunity study his sleeping mate.

Carl was beginning to fill out with wider shoulders and more obvious muscles but he remained delicately thin, much closer to Lori’s body type then Rick’s. His face was losing the last traces of round baby fat that still stubbornly clung to those freckled cheeks. A few more days of direct sunlight and his skin would darken perhaps to a pretty golden hue.

With more sunlight would come more dark freckles that speckled across his son’s cheeks, nose, and neck. Maybe when Carl was awake, Rick would press tender kisses across those spots. The omega’s lips were still swollen red. He would have to remember to be more careful about nipping at them lest they began to bleed from too much attention.

Red marks also marred large patches of skin from Rick’s beard rubbing against the younger’s sensitive skin. _I wonder how many marks I can leave on him before this is all over_.

Rick raked a hand through the long brown locks that framed the omega’s face. His hair would need to be cut soon and until then the battered hat would help keep the wild locks in check.

Time slipped by the alpha unmarked. Eventually though he felt the body in his arms stir.

“Are you ready?” Rick whispered while letting his breath tickle against his son’s ear. The response he got was a long leg hooked around his waist to bring their hips in contact once again. Both were half hard from the rising scent of hormones in the air. Rick began to languidly grind their cocks together.

“More please,” Carl mewled. Rick rolled their bodies so his was covering Carl’s.

“Whatever you want baby boy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope it wasn't too bad. The next chapter will contain smut as well from Carl's POV then we move back into plot. If anyone is interested feel free to check out my tumblr at feverbegantospread.tumblr.com for updates and other grimescest and fandom related things. Thanks guys!


	12. Chapter 12: Carl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of Carl's heat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. I just want to apologize for the delay. I suffer from chronic illness issues which flared up and caused me problems. So in addition to my illness and work, I had a lot of family obligations which kept me busy all last week. 
> 
> It also didn't help that this chapter had be to be written and edited from scrap. (As opposed to the others which I had written a month ago and just needed rewrites and editing.) 
> 
> There will be one more chapter to this story but you can read about my plans in the end note. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
> 
> Warning: more smut ahead

Consciousness pulled at Carl’s eyelids aided by gentle sunlight against his face. As he became aware of his body, he could feel a throbbing ache echo in different spots. It was the first time in two days that he was mindful of the pain.

Carl was also encased in warmth from the two arms wrapped around his middle and the heat of his father’s chest against his back. The sound of even breathing informed Carl that his father was still deep in slumber. Keeping his body still, the teen began to take deep breaths and catalog the different pains he felt.

Many of his leg muscles burnt from overuse and there was a throbbing pain coming from some of the marks from his neck. Carl wondered if his father’s teeth marks were still visible on the welling bites.

What was more, Carl could still feel a gentle ache coming from his ass. Heat immediately flooded his face when he was reminded as to why that was. For two days the omega had lost himself in his heat. That first time he had been knotted had had been intense but it was nothing compared to what followed.

He had lost track of number of times they had fucked, and boy did it feel weird to be able to use that word. A flash of heat still passed through him at the memory of some of those times.

_It feels so normal to think of it though._

He supposed his reaction should have been different. It was completely abnormal to be mated to his father. To have spent his nearly three day heat being knotted and fucked, memories of the stretch of that perfect fullness flooded him, was not something most teenage boys probably thought about.

Then again how many teenage boys were left in the world?

A chill in the air caused Carl to shiver slightly even under the thin blanket his father had thrown over them before succumbing to sleep. Previously Rick had done his best to clean them both before they had given themselves over to exhaustion.

It had been a difficult task given how many bodily fluids painted both their skins. Carl couldn’t help but wrinkle his nose a bit. Their scents were mixed but there was still a trace of heady arousal present in the air.

_Wonder why that is_?

Carl eventually tried to shift in order to pull the blanket closer and only succeeded in being pulled back tighter into his father’s embrace. The omega gave a huff of exasperation at that.

_Is it too early to wake him_?

It probably was. Chances were his father was also physically drained from their hours of strenuous activity. At one point the alpha had lain back seeming exhausted but the omega was burning with desperation to be filled and knotted.

A hot rush of desire flooded him as he recalled what had happened next. Carl had eventually straddled his alpha and sunk down onto his father’s cock. Vague memories of the delicious burn of his thighs returned with a vengeance.

It had been awkward at first. The idea of riding his father seemed like a good one at the time but the physical strain of actually followed through had made the omega nervous.

Luckily for him his father was very understanding eventually sitting up to clutch at Carl’s ass to help guide the omega’s downward thrusts as well thrusting up into the writhing form above him.

The position allowed for a deeper connection and an extremely intense climax. Carl began to shiver at the heated arousal that began to course down his spine at the memory of his father’s heated cock pulsing as it had pressed against that bundle of nerves inside of him. Every press against it had caused white hot pleasure to flood his whole body.

They had lost themselves in the rhythm of flesh slapping against flesh. The teen’s mind was hazy with memories of scorching pleasure from the delicious burn of fullness. The strain on his legs had burned but his father’s upward thrusts helped alleviate some of the strain.

It had been nothing short of primal fucking. They had becoming nothing more than writhing sinuous forms succumbing to physical pleasure until they peaked with the breadth of his father’s knot caught the rim of the omega’s asshole.

Suddenly Carl was jolted out of his thoughts by the burn of a scratchy beard being nuzzled into his neck as well as gentle sucking kisses. The air was thick with the omega’s revived arousal and his cock was half-hard.

“Dad?” The teen whispered. The only response he got was deep rumbling growl.

_I guess he still asleep._

Carl couldn’t help but find it funny that his dad continued to snuggle against him even in sleep.

_I should let him get some more rest. Who knows when we’ll have an opportunity to sleep in such a protected area again_?

How long had it been since the prison had fallen? It was more than week but probably no more than three weeks. It was hard to keep track of days when you were floating from place to place struggling to survive. God, it was so weird to think that just a short while ago they had lived peacefully in a protected community. Sure that community had been under siege by disease, but they had pulled through and had the governor not attacked, Carl was sure they would have recovered.

_What would have happened though if I had gone into heat at the prison_?

That last thought hit him like a douse of icy water. It did no good to worry himself about what could have been. He doubted if the ache over the loss of their home and family would ever heal.

It really had been chance that they had found somewhere safe in order to Carl to have his heat. Only god knew what would happen during next heat.

_That is if both of us live to see my next heat_.

The painful morbid thought nearly caused a whine to rip from his throat. Tension pulled his muscles taut and from behind he could feel his father’s body shift into awareness.

“Carl, are you alright?” His father’s voice was still hoarse from sleep.

Now that his dad was awake, Carl squirmed around in order to face him. He buried his head in his father’s chest for a moment filling his lungs with the heady scent of pine that helped calm him, his earlier arousal waning.

“How are you doing?” His dad prompted again when he didn’t answer.

“I’m…” it was difficult to find the right words. Physically he felt fine. Carl briefly wondered if the same healing abilities that omega’s had after giving birth also helped during heats. Yet his emotions felt jumbled.

What if his father regretted their mating? What if he was ashamed of how Carl had relished the sex they had?

His father was now softly combing his fingers through the teen’s hair. The tension slowly began to ebb at the touch and eventually Carl to keen deep in his throat at the comforting touch.

“I’m okay,” the teen muttered.

“Ah,” was the only response his father gave.

Carl wasn’t sure how long they lay there, allowing the heat from their bodies to saturate the blankets.

“There’s some things we have to take care of before we get ready to leave.”

For a brief moment, Carl wanted open his mouth to complain about having to leave their safe little nest. Why couldn’t they stay there for another few days?

As if sensing the omega’s displeasure, Rick bent down and gave a hard nip to the bite mark on Carl’s neck.

Carl winced but allowed his father to help him up. The alpha first went out and returned with a bucket of warm water and inch by inch began to clean his son’s body. Shivers tingled from the warm water conflicting with the cold air against his skin. Yet Carl couldn’t help but preen at the tender ministrations.

Rick chuckled deep in his throat when Carl rubbed his head against his father’s hand like a cat begging for more touch.

“You like that, huh?”

“Hmm,” Carl murmured. As his father’s touch moved down his back down to the swell of his ass, the teen’s chest flushed red.

It was odd to have his father touching him so intimately outside of the heat. As the rag gently rubbed against his opening, his body gave out a shudder that made his back arch away from the touch. The alpha immediately withdrew his hand.

“I’m sorry,” Rick stuttered. “I thought…”

Carl found himself squirming under his father’s intense gaze.

“It’s just…I’m sensitive.” Even to his ears it was a lame excuse. Worry lined his father’s face and it was clear to Carl he needed to sooth those lines.

“I don’t mind if you keep going. I’m just sensitive right now.”

“If you don’t want me to touch you anymore, I won’t. I’ll respect any boundaries you need to set.”

Those words allowed something to connect in Carl’s mind. _Dad’s got the same worries as me_. _He’s hesitant to treat me like his mate and not just his son_.

Carl pulled himself into his father’s lap and gently grasped his father’s neck. Lifting himself up, he pressed his lips against Rick’s in a slightly clumsy kiss. His father molded their mouths in a more graceful coupling before pulling back.

“Carl, are you sure? It’s not going to be easy.”

A small smile pulled at Carl’s lips. “Yes I want to be treated as your mate, dad. I don’t want to ever go back to not being with you as mates. I…I love you.”

It was the first time he admitted those words aloud. They had always been there of course but their meaning had morphed into something so much deeper.

“You’re my alpha.” Carl snuggled into his father’s hold. Under his hands he could feel muscles relax as his father pulled him into a tighter embrace.

“You’re my everything, son. I don’t think I could have made it this far without you. I want you to make me a promise though.”

“Yes?”

Rick grasped Carl’s chin and held his face so they were eye to eye.

“If you ever feel uncomfortable with something you let me know immediately. I will conform to any rules or boundaries you need to set for yourself in this relationship.”

Carl nodded as a sense of calm began to flow through him. _Ah, that’s the bond. We’ve both overcome our fears so we’re more aware of each other_.

Something about that warmth caused a heat of a different kind to warm in his belly. He leaned forward to press butterfly kisses on his dad’s lips, beard, and face. Despite the fact that he his heat was over, the arousal from earlier began to return.

Rick quickly initiated another heated kiss and traced the outline of Carl’s bottom with his tongue before slipping inside his son’s mouth. The kiss soon became sloppy as Rick began to press ever harder in repeated motions.

Blood was buzzing in Carl’s ears as he drowned in the pleasure melding of their tongues brought. When they separated, his breath came out in frantic pants.

His father rested his forehead against his and for a moment they simply heated breaths. Two sets of blue eyes stared into each other. Carl marveled in the intensity of the multi hues of blue in his father’s slightly darker eyes. He shivered at the feeling of his father’s beard rubbing against the sensitive skin of Carl’s chin causing a small squeak to erupt from his lips.

The corner of Rick’s lips slowly began to curl up into a beatific smile that made Carl’s breath catch in his throat. Gently his father lowered them both back onto the mattress and allowed their bodies to stretch out. The weight of his father’s fully pressing him down caused a frisson of pleasure to dash down his body to pool at his groin.

As their bodies aligned their hips came into contact and Carl’s jerked as their two hard cocks came into contact. A heated flush traveled down his chest, but the omega simply wrapped his arms around his father’s shoulders in order to brace himself and continuing thrusting.

A deep animalistic growl emitted from Rick’s throat. Carl could feel the vibrations from the places where their chests touched. As they slid against each other, Carl could feel his nipples begin to grow hard as they brushed against the hard muscle of his father’s chest.

Carl began to feel light-headed from the intensity of the constant friction. As amazing as sinful pleasure that was building in his cock was, something was missing.

The teen suddenly froze his hips and Rick likewise immediately stopped.

“Are you okay? What is it?” His father’s voice was hoarse from his growls.

“It’s wonderful but I…” Carl could feel his cheeks heat with embarrassment.

_I know my heat is over so how do I tell him that…I want…to have sex_?

Taking a deep breath, Carl finally answered. “I want you,” Carl stuttered only a little, “To…fuck me. One more time.”

Surprise caused his father’s lashes to snap wide open. A slight matching flush began to color the older man’s cheeks and even down his neck under his greying beard.

“If that’s what you want,” Rick responded. The alpha bent to once more take Carl’s lips in a tender kiss.

“We’ll have to take it slower than before since you aren’t producing any slick.”

_That’s right_. Plus his father wouldn’t be able to knot him without the heat hormones coursing through his body.

Suddenly the alpha began to sit up causing Carl to whine and frantically grab at his shoulders in order to pull him back down.

“Calm down. I have to get some supplies from my bag if we’re going to do this again.”

Carl couldn’t help but pout at the loss of his father’s heat. He tracked his dad’s movements to the bag that had been moved to one corner of the room. Rick came back holding onto to a tube and few small packets.

_Oh_. It didn’t take Carl long to realize that it was lube and condoms. The lube he understood was necessary but the condoms…

“Why are you using a condom?” Carl asked. His father seemed to squirm a bit under his questioning gaze.

His father’s hands twitched as he ran his hand through his tangled curls and rubbed at his neck.

“I think it better for you to not have my scent in you when we get to Terminus.”

Begrudgingly Carl realized it was a valid point. As father and son it was expected that there would be some mixing of their scents. But if his father came in him again, Carl was ignoring the heat in his cheeks, the scent mixture would be obvious that their relationship was more than just a parent and child.

“We’ve got to keep it a secret, right?” Rick nodded.

_I wish we didn’t have to but I understand that for now it’ll be better if we do_.

As his dad came back to the mattress, he settled himself in between Carl’s spread legs. The teen shifted nervously aware that his cock had softened during their discussion.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you.” Rick’s voice deepened into a purr.

The timbre of his father’s voice caused tremors to rack his body. Long fingers began to ghost over sensitive spots on his body. His nipples were teased with fingernails catching against the delicate nubs.

Carl mewled under the delicious torment his father’s touches wrought. Eventually his cock became hard again, curving upwards to smear pre-cum on his stomach.

The alpha bent to lap at that pre-cum causing Carl’s stomach muscles to clench as they were laved by an insistent tongue.

Eventually that mouth left sucking kisses down to cock. When his father took his cock into his mouth, it left Carl dizzy from the pleasure that wet hot cavern was giving him. Carl tangled his fingers in his dad’s hair loving the feel of the damp curls.

When Rick gave a particular hard suck, Carl tugged at the strands in his hand causing his father to groan. Carl gave a loud squealing moan as the vibrations caused a shot of pleasure.

With a slight pop, his father pulled off Carl’s cock despite the pitiful whines coming from the teen.

“I’ve got to prepare you baby boy so it’ll be easier for you to take my cock.”

“Hmm, so do it already,” Carl’s voice came out a whine and Rick lifted an eyebrow at it.

“As you wish oh impatient one.” Carl’s legs were pushed further up and apart. The teen bent his knees and held his legs to help given his father better access. Warming the lube between his hands, Rick trailed one finger down to Carl’s puckered opening.

At first he gently massaged the opening which twitched at Rick’s touch. Carl could feel his body tremble as that first finger breeched his asshole.

Even with the lube, Carl was keenly more aware of the intrusion that he had been during his heat. His father though pressed gently stretching his opening. Soon a second joined it and the feeling felt slightly different from before.

It was if Carl was now more aware of every nerve that those fingers were stretching. His body was shaking through from the exertion of holding his legs up.

“Hold on just a little while longer,” Rick crooned at him.

Soon three fingers were stretching and thrusting until they brushed against Carl’s prostrate. Carl writhed as his father began to tease at that spot.

“Fuck! Enough teasing! I need you now.” Carl pleaded in a low voice.

“Alright, but we’re going to take it slow.”

Carl couldn’t help but growl back, “I’m tired of slow. Give me what I want.”

The teen could see his father’s eyes dilate at his worlds.

“You asked for it,” the responding growl only caused Carl to clench around the fingers still inside him.

“You brat,” Rick removed his fingers and first tore the condom packet to roll it on. He then poured a generous amount of lube on his hand which he slicked down his condom covered cock.

“Turn over,” The alpha ordered.

“No,” Carl reached to pull his father down. “I want it like this face to face.”

“It’ll hurt more,” His father started.

“I don’t care. I want…to look into your eyes when you come.”

With a nod, Rick led his cock to Carl’s asshole and slowly began to push past the muscle of resistance. Carl winced at the pain of the stretch, something he hadn’t really felt during his heat.

“Breathe baby boy,” His father instructed as he continued to press in. Carl could tell his father’s muscles were shaking from the strain of controlling himself.

When Rick was buried to the hilt, he held himself there to allow Carl to adjust. Time slipped by without notice until Carl felt the pain subside a bit. The teen was dismayed that his erection had softened a bit.

“Hold on, Carl.” His father slowly pulled out and thrust back in. A frisson of pleasure spiked through Carl at the pull and thrust of fullness. As the older man continued to drive ever so harder, the pain began to ebb leaving behind blissful pleasure.

As Carl began to push back into his father’s thrusts, the alpha licked his hand then brought it back to stroke Carl’s cock.

“Dad, harder!” Carl whined as he was overcome with pleasure. Rick grunted as he sped up his thrusts.

Carl’s cries became more vocal as waves of scorching pleasure began to build.

“I’m…I’m close,” the omega stuttered.

“Me too,” His father’s response was breathy. Rick leaned down to snag Carl’s lips in another short kiss.

“Come for me, Carl. I want to see you come my beautiful mate.”

The thrusts came faster now and with a few strokes against Carl’s prostrate and a few sure twists of his father’s hands on his cock, Carl felt intense pleasure shatter within him as he came white stripes of cum.

Hips jerking, Carl could feel himself clench around his father’s cock. With a groan Rick fell forward his own hips jerking a twice before stilling as he released.

His father lay to cover Carl’s body with his own as they both gasped for air. The aftershocks of his orgasm caused small shocks of pleasure through his body.

“How was that, baby boy?”

The endearment made something warm glow in his chest.

“Perfect,” was all the omega could say. It was perfect until his father had pull out and Carl winced at the sting of pain from being stretched.

With worry on his face, Rick quickly disposed of the full condom before returning to massage at Carl’s muscles.

“You’re all dirty again,” His father gave out an exasperated huff. The teen couldn’t help but roll his eyes at that. A growl from Carl’s stomach shocked him. He hadn’t really been hungry during his heat but now it was officially over he was starving.

“I expected that. We need to get cleaned up. Daryl and Michonne may have food for us.”

_That’s right; it’s time to go back to the real world_.

There was something about having to leave this house that made something ache inside him but Carl knew that they had to press on. They had lost too many days already on his account.

They moved quickly taking care of each other as they took care of their ablutions and dressed. Carl made sure to stretch his aching body as best he could. They would have to walk just a bit further to get to Terminus. Judging by the light it was nearly midday.

Rick bent to pick up the last piece of clothing. He placed the battered sheriff’s hat that had been abandoned since the beginning of Carl’s heat, back in its place on the teens head. The alpha smiled before turning to get their stuff.

As his father gathered the bag of supplies up, Carl was reminded that he would now have to face Michonne and Daryl.

_Well that’s not going to embarrassing at all_.

“It won’t be that bad,” his father’s voice called out from behind him. “I mean they both understand completely and said they were okay with it.”

While the sentiment was nice, Carl was still anxious as their reactions. With a sigh his father squeezed the back of Carl’s neck.

“It’ll be okay. Let’s go.”

It felt so bizarre to leave the house now. Nothing much had changed yet Carl felt like a whole new person. Or maybe because now he was more aware of the warmth of the bond between them, he felt complete like he hadn’t in a while.

As they walked the short distance between the houses, something though snagged at his brain.

“Hey dad before we go in, can I ask you something?” He was answered with a questioning tilt of his father’s head.

“During heat you took some kind of pill? What were those?”

His father seemed to freeze at the question but quickly schooled his features into something neutral.

“They were cepta pills. They’re…specifically designed to lessen the potency of an alpha’s sperm.”

For a moment Carl’s brain couldn’t process those words. When the realization finally became clear, he gave a sigh of relief.

_I completely forgot about the possibility of getting pregnant during my heat. God! What if I had? What if I am? Thank god he had those_.

It was extremely foolish of him to forget the core reason for an omega’s heats but somehow as his father had pulled him out of his rejection phase, the thought hadn’t come to him.

“I’m sorry that I did that without discussing it with you. It’s not something I’m proud of but Michonne made it clear that you were not inclined to have a child so soon.”

“She’s right. I mean…it’s something I have thought about since I presented. I don’t…know if I ever…” Carl’s voice trailed and he kept his gaze straight down to the ground.

_Is Dad going to be upset if I decide to never have children_?

His internal conflict must have been clear as day on his face because he felt his father pull him into a hug.

“Hey, you don’t have to make any decisions about it right now if you want. Just remember no matter what you choose I will stand by your decision. It’s your body. You should have the right to decide.”

“The pills won’t last very long will they?” Carl asked abruptly.

“No,” Rick sighed, “They probably won’t. They were rare to begin with before the walkers came so there’s not guarantee we’ll be able to find more. Michonne though said she may be able to find alternatives.”

“Did Michonne give them to you?”

“Yeah, again I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

“No, it’s alright.” They held each other for another moment before separating and opening the door to the main house.

Delicious smells of cooked food curled in from the kitchen. Feeling his stomach growl again, Carl shuffled behind his father towards the smells. Daryl and Michonne stood from where they had been sitting at the kitchen table.

A combination of nervousness and shyness caused Carl to duck behind his father.

“How are y’all doing?” Daryl asked.

“Physically we’re both okay…” His father’s voice trailed off as he turned to Carl.

Absolutely sure that his cheeks were probably flushed red, Carl steeled himself to speak. “The bond is complete so…we both should be okay in the future.” His voice came out softer than he had intended.

Michonne regarded him with soft eyes. Daryl however walked around Rick to lightly cuff Carl on his right ear.

“Hey!” Carl yelped.

“That’s for worrying us,” Daryl drawled. The beta looked toward Rick and tilted his head as if asking for permission. The alpha nodded so Daryl pulled Carl into a quick hug.

“That’s for being okay. I’m glad you’re back with us kid.”

Something about the sentiment made a flush of emotion gather in his face. A glance towards Michonne showed her face smiling in obvious relief as well.

Carl couldn’t help but move around the two adult men in order to approach the female beta. With an eyebrow cocked at him, Michonne waited to see what he would do.

A small smile pulled at his lips, yet there was still something holding Carl back. Something that still caught at the back of his mind that he just couldn’t quite put his finger on.

“Thank you for everything,” He simply said. She nodded at him in understanding.

“We’re a little over half a day from Terminus. Do you want to start right now?”

“Yes, the sooner we get there the better.” Rick answered Daryl as his face became hard.

“After you and Carl eat of course,” Michonne interjected.

The female beta quickly set both Grimes with plates of food. As the alpha and omega ate, the two betas filled them in on what they had been doing while both Grimes men had been occupied.

“We thought it better to not go on any runs and to stay close. This is the last of what we had rationed,” Michonne explained.

“I say we try to make it look like no one has been here and mark it on a map in case we ever have to come back.”

It was a good plan, Carl had to admit. Hopefully the neighborhood would remain mostly undisturbed in their absence. Fairly quickly Rick took charge of the group again. Once they had finished eating and gathering their supplies they were off.

It was clear to Carl that it was going to be slightly uncomfortable as he walked since he could still feel slight twinges of pain coming from his ass.

_Maybe that wasn’t such a great idea_.

After a few hours they paused to take a break. Carl warily tried to find a softer piece of ground in which to sit on. Before he managed to get settled, Michonne came over to him.

“Hey,” she started softly. “I have something for you.” She held out a small tube. He took it cautiously.

“This will help if you’re…still feeling pain.” She didn’t continue further and it only took Carl a second to understand where she meant. Fighting down a blush, Carl nodded.

“I’ll keep watch if you need to take care of that.”

_God it’s so embarrassing_. Yet the way Michonne spoke was not judgmental at all. Maybe that’s what he had been worried about. That somehow, despite all the reassurances both betas had given, Michonne and Daryl would look at him with…disdain maybe? Or disgust? Or maybe she would look at him and see that he…quickly Carl turned away from those thoughts.

_She’s always taking care of us_.

The cream ended up helping but Carl knew he would have to live with some of the pain. They continued on until they found the leaf covered train backs again. Step by step they followed it. Carl kept mostly behind his father with his head down.

The leaves on the ground where hues of browns and yellows and there was something about watching them as he walked that calmed him. At one point he ended up walking next to Daryl with his father and Michonne slightly head. He could hear them converse very softly but he couldn’t quite understand.

Something that felt suspiciously like jealously nagged at him. At some point, he hoped before they got there, he would need to talk with Michonne alone.

When his father directed them into the woods, Carl felt everything tense as they came to a chain link fence. Everyone was on guard so Carl pulled out his gun. The heavy feeling of the weapon in his palm felt good after not holding for a few days.

“We all spread out, watch for a while, see what we see, and get ready. We all stay close,” Rick ordered. Daryl immediately headed out.

Carl began to walk towards Michonne but was stopped by his father asking him, “You want to stick with me?”

“It’s all right,” Carl responded quickly hoping his alpha understood that he meant no disrespect. He just really needed to talk to Michonne. Rick seemed to understand though and allowed Carl to pass without stopping him.

Carl walked side by side with Michonne through the trees in silence. He was unsure as to how to start their conversation. Luckily the beta eventually helped with that too.

“Why didn’t you go with your dad?”

Michonne’s question rang in his ear but his lips remained sealed. There was a reason, a very important one. However when he didn’t respond right away, the beta continued to talk.

“When I told you about Andre, you never asked how he died.”

Michonne began to tell the story of death of her child and every passing moment began to weigh heavily on Carl.

_She feels it’s her fault_. It was a sad story, one that was not uncommon given the world they lived in. Still Carl felt it was okay to mourn for Michonne’s lost child who he would never know. He also mourned for Michonne and how the loss had probably changed her.

“I see how you’ve been looking at your dad. You don’t have to be afraid of me or him.”

_No, Michonne, you don’t understand_. _I’m not afraid of him. I don’t think I could ever be now_. _I’m not afraid of you, I’m just worried…_

“He told me the other day that he was proud of me.” His father’s words were just that, the words of a father to a son. Something about them caused a sickly feeling deep in Carl’s chest. They weren’t just father and son now.

“That I was a good man. I’m not.”

_I guess there is still a part of me that’s worried that he’ll one day he’ll change his mind about us being mates_. _I couldn’t bear it if he decided to break our bond._

Michonne watched him as if trying to decipher what he was failing to explain.

“I know more now.” _Now that our relationship is different_.

“About what he wanted from me…” _I don’t know if he ever really wanted to be mates_.

“And I tried…” _To resist what **I** wanted_.

“But I still have these thoughts.” _He’s my mate. No one else can ever have him_.

“I’m not what he thinks I am. I’m just another monster, too.”

_How I feel about him is wicked and I know that but…I…just don’t care that it’s wrong. No one will ever be able to convince me that I’m wrong for loving him the way I do. And I don’t care about the men he killed. If someone ever threatened his life, I would kill them too. I would rip them apart to keep him safe_.

He felt the beta slowly put her arms around him as if waiting for permission and Carl wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. He wasn’t sure the beta understood his feelings but the comfort she offered was something that he ached for.

What’s more he could finally feel the tension that been burning under his skin loosen its hold on him. There was no point in being jealous or worried about Michonne. The beta would support them as much as she could. Carl wasn’t sure how he knew that just from their hug, but he could.

It was reassuring to know that no matter what other people said, Michonne and Daryl would continue to stand by them. The betas were truly strong loyal people who would not throw them to the inevitable wave of people who might look upon Rick and Carl’s relationship with revulsion.

Remembering that there was something else he needed to tell the beta before they went into Terminus, Carl pulled back.

“There was something else I wanted to tell you. It’s about the cepta pills.”

Brown eyes flickered with sudden worry but Carl was quick to assuage her fears.

“I want to thank you for giving them to dad. You were right…it’s better that I not worry about getting pregnant. I…don’t think I’ll ever be ready for it to be honest. So thank you for giving them to him.”

“I did overstep my place though...I shouldn’t have made the decision for you…”

“No!” Carl exclaimed. “You made the right call. I…Dad may say I’m a man but I know that there are still things I’ll need your guidance on. I mean I’m still young.” There was a part of Carl that stubbornly wanted to deny this. He did want to be taken seriously as an adult.

Yet that night where he face the possibility of his father’s death had shown him, there was no shame in allowing the adults to help him with difficult decisions that he had no experience with.

_I still have a lot to learn_.

The dark skinned woman rubbed at her eyes where moisture had started to gather.

“I am sorry for doing it just the same. I swear I won’t ever give you or your father something that affects your bodies without asking you first.”

Carl gave a small smile at the declaration. She would keep that promise; there was absolutely no doubt about that. In the back of his mind though, Terminus still loomed ominously. He was glad though that they had cleared up everything between them. Carl concentrated on the bond with his father and still felt tension coming from his mate.

He took a deep breath, his chest expanding as far as it could go, and began to send comfort and strength to his alpha. The response was immediate. The tension uncoiled like a spring giving way.

_It’s going to be okay. I don’t know what lies ahead but somehow we’ll be alright_.

Michonne and Carl met up with Rick and Daryl once more outside the lowest point of the Terminus fence. As they each prepared to crawl over, his father came up and dragged his hand across the back of his neck allowing his fingers to ghost over his jacket where the mating bite still throbbed.

“We can do this,” Carl’s voice was much surer than it had been a few minutes ago. His father’s small reassuring smile brightened the alpha’s face. The alpha darted down to place a quick kiss against Carl’s cheek, just barely catching the side of his lips, before pulling his gun and moving to take the lead.

It was if a switched had been pulled in the alpha. Through the bond, Carl could feel his father’s awareness shift into full blown alpha mode. Every instinct and sense heightened and an unflinching concentration coursed into Carl from his father.

Naively with these feelings coursing through them Carl felt like they were ready to face anything.

Only later did he realize how wrong he was about that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank those who continue to read, comment, and leave kudos on this story. I'm constantly amazed that people like what I write at all. 
> 
> As for this story there will be one more chapter before it ends for season 4. I will be writing a sequel that goes into 5a however I will not be posting it until closer to February when The Walking Dead returns for 5b. That will give me time to write it so maybe I can post it all at once. 
> 
> Also this series finally has a name! "heathens kiss softly" is from the song Heathen's Kiss by Horse Feathers. It's definitely one of my favorite grimescest songs. 
> 
> Once again thanks for your support. I will try to get the last chapter out by the end of this week.


	13. Chapter 13: Rick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group has now reached Terminus but Rick is the not the same alpha that he once was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took so long. I've been sick now for nearly six weeks but it looks like I'm finally getting better. This is it though the end has come. Fair note that I used the ending from the blu-ray version of the episode simply cause it felt better.

As they began to trek through the leave laden roads back towards the railroad tracks, Rick’s mind was an icy flood of conflicting thoughts and feelings.

Still through all the chaos he could feel the fluttering warmth of his bond with Carl deep in his chest. There was still a sliver of coldness though that nagged at him. It was clear when they started that Carl was lagging behind.

Now that the bond was there and complete, Rick could feel his alpha instincts tug even harder at him. He felt the pull to have the omega closer to his side. He fought that desire though as much as he could. Maybe Carl needed to have some time to adjust to the bond? Or maybe he just needed to be distanced from his father at the moment. There were any number of reason the teen was holding back.

_Don’t overthink this or you’ll cause trouble_. The last thing the alpha wanted to do was to wreak havoc on their new relationship.

The reason for Carl’s lagging though ended up being much simpler than Rick though. When the group stopped for a quick break, Rick watched as Carl gingerly attempted to sit on the ground. His ears picked up a very slight wince coming from the teenager.

_Dammit, that’s the reason why_. Rick had been too rough and now his mate was in pain because of him. There was a part of him that wished he could take some of Carl’s pain away through their bond.

It was an impossible hope though; they could share general emotions through the bond but not physical pain.

Rick began to move forward to find some way to comfort Carl but stopped when Michonne got there first with something in her hands. She spoke to Carl in soft tones. After they exchanged a few words she handed Carl the object in her hand. With a few more words, Carl gave a nod and they moved together towards the trees.

Michonne’s eyes reached Rick’s before disappearing into the woods. Rick could read reassurance in those brown depths so he knew the beta was doing her best to help Carl. A quick glance to the right showed Daryl standing silently with his own blue eyes trained to the horizon.

It hadn’t escaped Rick’s notice that he and Daryl seemed to have changed. They were moving better as a team. Daryl had always been in tune to Rick’s movements but now, somehow, they were moving even more like a unit.

Rick wasn’t quite sure why that was but he couldn’t help but be grateful that he could share his worries with both betas.

When they started off again, Rick managed to quell his worry about Carl lagging behind. Eventually Michonne ended up walking beside Rick, while Daryl kept next to Carl.

The sound of their footsteps crinkling under the leaves echoed in the wind. There was an odd absence of walkers around and it made the day deceptively calm.

Michonne said nothing as she moved next to him and Rick was thankful that she knew better than to try and engage him in small talk. Eventually though he couldn’t help but wonder something.

“You okay?” He didn’t specify. It had been an extremely stressful few days for all of them and he hadn’t really stopped to make sure she how she was handling.

“Yeah,” was the only answer she gave. He continued.

“I’m okay,” it was only a partial lie.

“I know,” Michonne murmured.

That response startled him. “How?”

“Cause I’m okay, too.”

Somehow it made complete sense. Michonne didn’t need to give him detailed descriptions of her feelings for her to be perfectly clear.

_One day I’ve got to thank God for sending her our way_.

After another few hours, they finally hit a sign that let them know they were close. Rick’s mind though urged caution and he directed the group through the woods.

“Now we head through the woods. We don’t know who they are.”

They came to a chain link fence and took in the sight of a group of buildings that was once a train depot but had now been appropriated as a community. The words “Terminus” were visible in the windows of one building. There was very little movement visible which waved red flags in Rick’s head.

“We all spread out, watch for a while, see what we see, and get ready. We all stay close,” He ordered. Daryl nodded and silently moved out to walk the fence. Carl began to move away toward Michonne which made Rick’s heart stutter for a moment.

“You want to stick with me?”

“It’s all right,” there was a hint of confidence in those words that calmed Rick slightly. Remembering how awkward Carl had been with the older woman early that morning, he realized maybe it was better he allowed the omega to walk with Michonne.

There was a small look of relief on Car’s face as Rick allowed him to pass without further questioning. As they both walked off, Rick couldn’t let go of the nagging feeling of anxiety that had visited him earlier.

He scouted around for a few minutes before he began to wander in the direction Carl and Michonne had taken. From a distance he could see them talking. There was a faint sense of distress coming from the bond and Rick ached to go and comfort his mate.

Rick held back through, watching as Michonne said something to help console his son. Despite the small fragment of jealousy that ran through him when the beta pulled Carl into a hug, he could feel the distress in the bond begin to ease.

Realizing that he probably shouldn’t be spying on them, Rick left to find a spot where he could bury their bag of weapons. That way if something went wrong, they would have them without the Terminus folks knowing they had additional weapons.

_It’s almost like your expecting something go wrong_ , a voice slithered in his head. Maybe he was expecting things to go wrong. Or maybe he keenly felt a stronger pull to make sure nothing happened to his mate.

Rick opened the bag to check it once more and struck by the sight of the handgun on top. _What if they take our weapons_? He still had his Colt in holster and it wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility that the Terminus people might make them surrender their guns.

In a quick movement he took out his colt and replaced it with the handgun. He quickly buried the rest of the bag under the soft dirt and hoped that it would remain undiscovered.

When he stood, he could see Michonne and Carl coming back from the distance. Rick couldn’t help but wish he could kiss his mate once more before they went into Terminus.

Suddenly he felt a pulse of warm reassurance echo through him from the bond. It warmed that edge of cold unease that he had been carrying around all morning. The corners of his lips curled into a small smile as he basked in the glow of the love that could only come from his mate.

When the group finally stood together again, Rick’s eyes met Carl’s. Within those pale blue eyes was the same unconditional love that Rick felt every minute of every day for his son.

_We’re gonna be okay_ , he assured himself. Rick had a feeling that the voice was referring to his mate and him rather than their current situation. As they prepped their weapons, Rick couldn’t help but let his fingers trace across the smooth skin of the back of Carl’s neck.

The skin shivered gently under his touch so he allowed his hand to linger down to spot where he knew his teeth marks lay under the blue cloth.

“We can do this,” his son said confidently. Rick nodded at the remark. With the warmth of reassurance coursing through their bond, Rick pulled his gun from the holster and flicked the safety off.

With that single click, the alpha felt his mind clear to an amazing clarity. His senses heightened as blood pumped in preparation for whatever lay on the other side of that fence. The fence made a clanging noise as Rick pulled himself over. His eyes scanned the eerily empty buildings.

Daryl took point as they headed into the building. Rick’s ears picked up the sound of a woman’s voice repeating a message over and over. The hunter walked up to an open doorway and slowly turned the corner. Michonne quickly moved ahead to go second, followed by Rick and Carl.

With muscles tense, Rick scanned the large warehouse. And older grey haired woman wearing a headset sat at a radio station while another group of people worked at tables covered with maps and signs.

The scene was deceptively calm but there was something that still urged him to caution. No one seemed to notice them so Rick decided it would be best to just approach them out right.

“Hello,” he walked towards the older woman figuring he could grab her as a hostage if needed.

Rick turned to the Terminus group and repeated himself, “Hello.”

One lanky man set down his pen. “Well, I bet Albert is on perimeter watch.” The man’s manner was laid back.

“You here to rob us?” It was an expected question.

“No. We wanted to see you before you saw us.” Rick saw no reason to lie to the people. He sized up the man in front of him. The man was tall and thin but not undernourished. He had a narrow face that Rick would suppose was handsome. The man and the others were dressed much like Rick and his group with clothes that was visibly worn but mostly clean.

Rick also noted that some of the Terminus folk had their hands towards their weapons.

“Makes sense. Usually we do this where tracks meet,” the man stepped forward with his hands out in a welcoming gesture. He cleared his throat.

“Welcome to Terminus. I’m Gareth.” The man, Gareth’s, eyes lingered on each of them making his own assessment. It was then Rick realized that Gareth was an alpha. Immediately he felt his muscles tense.

“Looks like you’ve been on the road for a good bit.”

“We have. Rick. That’s Carl, Daryl, Michonne.” Gareth gave his group and awkward wave but his eyes were observing them.

“You’re nervous. I get it. We were all the same way. We came here for sanctuary. That what you’re here for?”

As Gareth walked closer to him, Rick held his gaze steady.

“Yes,” was all Rick responded with.

“Good. You found it.” It didn’t escape Rick’s notice that Gareth’s eyes lingered on Carl. _No_ , Rick growled in his head. A flash of heated anger surged through Rick's blood.

“Hey, Alex,” Gareth called another shorter but stockier man to come forward. “This isn’t as pretty as the front. We got nothing to hide, but the welcome wagon is a whole lot nicer.”

Rick remained on guard. Gareth’s assertion that the Terminus folks “had nothing to hide” was the biggest load of bullshit Rick had ever heard. In fact it was starting to seem like oddly what he was seeing was fake.

“Alex will take you, ask you a few questions. Uh, but first, we need to see everyone’s weapons. If you could just lay them down in front of you.” Gareth was slightly shifty as he made this demand but Rick had been expecting it.

He gave a glance to his right were his group stood in a line and meet each of their eyes before he began to kneel down.

“All right,” Rick answered.

“I’m sure you understand,” Gareth continued. Both alpha’s eyes met and Rick knew that Gareth recognized him for what Rick was. Now his biggest worry was Gareth recognizing Carl as an omega.

“Yes, I do,” as Rick tossed his gun down he also pulled out his knife and slid that on the floor. He could hear the others placing their weapons down as well. Alex moved towards Daryl and he and Gareth held their arms up.

Rick quickly followed the gesture realizing that the two were going to pat them down. Rick made a quick decision that if either men tried to touch Michonne he would protest. Luckily it seemed only the males of Rick’s group were to be subjected to the pat down.

Swallowing a growl as Gareth came into his personal space, Rick allowed the other man to pat him down both in the front and back.

“I’d hate to see the other guy,” Alex attempted to make small talk with Daryl. A part of Rick nearly wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it.

“You would,” Rick answered for Daryl who remained silent. As Alex moved Rick quickly discerned that the other man was a beta so Rick did his best to contain a growl as the man moved to pat down Carl. This was the first real test of his control. If he protested Alex touching Carl, it may look suspicious. Rick got a feeling that Gareth was already distrustful of them.

A quick pulse of calm came through their bond that calmed Rick a bit. Carl knew his dad was struggling and the calm helped Rick rein in his impulses.

“They deserve it?” Alex directed that question to Carl. Rick couldn’t help but be proud that his son stood firm and sure as the stranger came up to pat him down.

“Yes,” Carl answered but again didn’t elaborate. As Gareth came around Rick’s right he walked into the space between Rick and Carl. Rick’s eyes followed his movements so he noticed when Gareth’s nostrils flared just a bit after passing Carl.

Just like that Rick knew Gareth had figured it out.

Gareth knew Carl was an omega.

It meant something to, if the ever so slight dilation of Gareth’s eyes meant something. Now Rick was on full alert but Gareth seemed to continue on.

“Just so you know, we aren’t those kind of people, but we aren’t stupid either. And you shouldn’t be stupid enough to try anything stupid,” Gareth rambled on, “As long as everyone’s clear on that, we shouldn’t have any problems. Just solutions.”

_Your speech skills need work_. Rick kept his comment to himself. The speech only made it more apparently that there was something going on here.

“Okay,” Gareth walked off leaving Alex who began to pick up their weapons and hand them back. Rick slipped his gun into his holster but left the safety off and didn’t bother clipping it in.

Alex led them through a door which opened to a walkway that was dotted with greenery. He brought them to a communal feeding area that reminded Rick of the prison and of Carol’s outside cooking area she had set up and run. Yet again there was something about it that seemed almost…staged.

Daryl talked to Alex but Rick remained silent. The orange glow of the setting sun bounced off the building walls illuminating a spot were a friendly looking woman stood grilling meat.

“Hi. Heard you came in the back door. Smart. You’ll fit right in here,” The woman’s smile was calm but all Rick could of think was, _how did she hear we had come in the back already_?

Alex asked the woman, named Mary, if she would fix them plates. Michonne asked a question but Rick wasn’t quite listening. Instead his eyes were flitting from person to person taking in details. There was something familiar about that orange bag and that was suspect.

But it wasn’t until Rick saw the riot gear and poncho that he had figured out for sure.

_They’re here. Glenn, Maggie, some of our people_.

It was suspicious that they had not seen them and that their items were being worn by other people. That didn’t immediately mean foul play though. Rick found himself examining Alex who he hadn’t really gotten a good look at.

Alex had a pocket chain that looked a lot like the one Hershel had given Glenn. There was no guarantee that it was the same one but between that and the other items, Rick knew that something was very wrong.

_Time to do something about it_. He wasn’t going to waste another moment. His body was ready for the confirmation that had been building since they jumped the fence.

As Alex offered him the plate, Rick strode up and knocked it down to grab the watch and pull and hold his gun to Alex’s jaw. It only took one glance at the watch face to confirm.

“Where the hell did you get this watch?” Rick was proud that his group had immediately pulled their weapons and formed a circle around him. They were indeed a well-oiled machine.

The people who had been sitting at the tables all stood, some had pulled guns while others simply stood watching with tense forms.

“You want answers? You want anything else? You get’em when you put down the gun,” Alex tried to order but Rick wasn’t settling for anything.

“I see your man on the roof with a sniper rifle. How good’s his aim?” Rick had noticed the sniper quickly look out then duck back out of sight when they had walked into the area.

“Where’d you get the watch?” Rick screamed. Alex instead yelled at the sniper telling him to back down which surprisingly the man did.

Again Alex tried to placate Rick. “You want to listen to me. There’s a lot of us.”

_That’s not going to stop us_.

“Where’d you get the watch?” Rick growled once more.

“I got it off of a dead one,” it was clear Alex was lying so Rick tried again.

“What about the riot gear? The poncho?”

Instead of Alex responded, Gareth’s voice came from the left and Rick made sure to turn while keeping his gun firm against Alex’s skin.

Gareth’s explanations were also easy lies that rolled off the man’s tongue. Rick knew that Gareth was standing way too calm while Alex had begun to tremble in Rick’s grip.

Rick also noted that Gareth had turned his head to look at something. A quick glance of Rick’s eyes revealed another man standing in a doorway with a powerful sniper rifle.

“Gareth, we can wait,” Alex started.

“Shut up, Alex,” Gareth responded his voice calm and cold.

“You talk to me,” Rick commanded but Gareth didn’t back down.

“What’s there left to say? You don’t trust us anymore.”

_I never did trust you._ Rick felt a wave of support come from his bond with Carl letting him know his son was ready for whatever next action Rick took.

“Gareth,” Alex pleaded but was cut off by Gareth.

“Shut up,” Gareth accented the order by holding his hand up. _Do you even care if he lives or dies_? Rick couldn’t help but wonder. Gareth was showing no signs that he cared if Rick shot Alex.

“Gareth, please,” This came out a sob and Rick nearly felt sorry for the man he was holding hostage.

Yet…

Gareth repeated, “It’s okay.” But his hand remained up. _Is he going to signal someone_? Rick knew he had to be prepared if Gareth gave some kind of a signal.

“Rick, what do you want?”

“Where are our people?” Rick responded with a question.

“You didn’t answer the question,” Gareth closed his hand. The small gesture triggered memories from long ago. It was a signal to shoot. Quickly recalling the man with the ground sniper rifle, Rick physically tossed Alex’s body to the right.

His instincts had served him well and the gunshot that rang out was embedded into Alex’s skull and not Rick’s.

As more gunshots and shouts rang out, Rick’s first instinct was to protect his mate.

“Carl!” Rick shot at the people leaving as he grabbed a handful of Carl’s jacket to pull him out of the line of fire. “Get down, now!”

Realizing that they were in vulnerable open space, Rick tried to lead his group back down the alley they had come from but was stopped with a hail of bullets at their feet. Confused at first, he followed Daryl in an attempt to go down another alley but was topped again by a circle of gunfire.

They ran into a building only to be stopped when the gate was closed.

_They were waiting for us dammit_!

For a moment the group was disoriented before Daryl pointed them towards an open door. This led them to a bullet ridden alley of boxes and cars and the ever present gunfire licking at their heels.

“Come on, this way,” Daryl motioned to another alleyway.

Somewhere ahead though Rick heard Gareth shout, “Get them off B!”

_What the hell does he mean by that_? But Rick’s thoughts were interrupted by more gunfire blocking their way. They took a left and the gunfire ceased. Their feet pounded against the pavement as they ran as fast as they could.

Rick quickly reloaded his gun as they passed next to a chained area that smelled rotten. A glance to the right caused an icy terror to grip Rick.

Human remains and skeletons lay on plastic sheeting out in the open.

_Oh god what are these people_? _How could I have let Carl and Michonne come into this place_? There was no time though for Rick to scold himself. Suddenly other voices rang through the air.

“Help! Help!” The cries of alarm were accompanied by bangs on metal.

“What the hell?” Daryl stopped to look around. It was Rick who realized that the sound was coming from two maroon boxcars.

“Keep going!” Rick ordered though he felt wrecked as the people continued to scream for help, afraid that was the fate in store for them if they didn’t get out. They finally made it back inside a building with no gunfire.

The room they stepped into was almost as terrifying as what they had already seen. It looked like a giant shrine with items, names, all accented with candles.

“What the hell is this place?” Daryl asked not quite understanding what he was seeing.

“These people,” Michonne responded, “I don’t think they’re trying to kill us.”

_She’s gets what is going on_.

“No, they were aiming at our feet,” Rick answered. Dread was slowly seeping through his bond with Carl and this time it was Rick who sent reassurance to his son. _We’re gonna get out of here. I promise_.

“There,” Rick noticed an open door but as they approached it was slam shut. _Watching, they’re always watching_.

They were back outside again with the fence in sight but more gunfire spat at their feet. The group jumped down from a platform towards the fence but was stopped by the sight of a group of people standing on the other side of the fence all armed with large guns.

_God dammit it was a trap all along_!

It was damned good one to. Invite unsuspecting and weary travelers to this place only to capture them if they tried to run. Rick had though they were prepared but apparently Gareth and his people had been one step ahead.

Speaking of the devil, Gareth appeared on the roof facing them. More people had appeared on the roofs all armed to the teeth. Rick turned to face him and was caught by the sight of Carl standing there frozen in fear.

“Drop your weapons,” Gareth ordered.

When none of them made a move, Gareth shouted, “Now!” There was a crazed edge to the command that brooked no refusal. So as a group they all dropped their weapons. Rick, Daryl and Michonne all stood facing Gareth but Carl remained facing his father.

The dread that had leaked through their bond early was now full blown terror. Rick could see that Carl was trembling slightly.

“Ringleader,” Rick could only assume Gareth meant him, “Go to your left.” Rick looked to see another of those maroon box cars sitting ominously. Gareth confirmed Rick’s thoughts.

“The train car, go.”

_I’m not going without Carl_. It appeared though that Gareth had already figured out that aspect of Rick.

“You do what we say, the boy goes with you. Anything else, he dies and you end up in there anyway.”

_Fuck_! It made sense that Gareth would pick the most vulnerable member of the group to threaten. Rick’s eyes flicked down to meet Carl’s. His son, his _mate_ , stood there breathing heavily.

Rick did his best to send soothing feelings through the bond but there was no helping the terror that the teen was feeling.

Afraid that Gareth would make good his threat, Rick went ahead and began walking towards the car. He had to force his feet to physically take one step after another despite every muscle in his body fighting to not leave his mate behind.

Rick kept turning his head to make sure that he could still see Carl’s form standing nearly still aside from the tremors racking through his small body.

_Your mate needs you_!

God how Rick wanted to run back to him and take him in his arms but doing so would only put them in even more danger.

Rick was nearly to the entrance of the train car when he heard Gareth again.

“Now the archer.” There was a pause. “Now the samurai.”

Behind him Rick could hear Daryl and Michonne’s footsteps follow. Rick approached the steps and noted that some trash lay on the ground in front. _Is there someone else in there_?

“Stand at the door ringleader, archer, samurai, in that order.”

Rick’s eyes never left his mate. Carl remained standing there his small form vulnerable in the open space.

The alpha couldn’t control his worry any longer.

“My son!” He yelled. There was a brief moment of silence and in that moment Rick could feel panic when no response came.

Finally Gareth yelled once more, “Go, kid.”

Immediately Carl began walking towards them his steps slow as if he was afraid that moving faster would incite Gareth’s wrath.

“Ringleader, open the door and go in.”

“I’ll go in with him,” Rick called back.

Maybe Gareth’s response was inevitable. “Don’t make us kill him now.”

Utterly disgusted and burning with fury at the man that held him separate from his mate, Rick took one last look at Carl before climbing the steps and pulling the unlocked door open.

One by one, the adults followed Rick into the car. In the darkened space, Rick sharply turned around and stood as close to the door as he dared. After what felt like an eternity to him, Carl came within the door sight.

The teen climbed the steps and Rick reached out urgently to grab at Carl’s neck in attempt to calm him. He could feel Carl’s small hand grip at his jacket.

_We made it…for now_.

A part of Rick desperately wanted to pull his mate in his arms and bury his head in his neck and kiss him to make sure that was really okay; that his most important person was still whole and alive in his embrace.

Yet the reminder of the trash on the ground had warned Rick that the train car may already have occupants and he would have to continue to hide the true nature of their relationship. Right after Carl entered, the door of the train car began to close.

_There must have been someone waiting next to the car_.

Even Rick had to admit that Gareth’s group were a well-oiled machine just as much as Rick’s people. They had clearly done this several times before and Rick dreaded the reason why these people were so methodical and ruthless in their entrapment.

Rick’s hand probably clutched at Carl’s neck much longer and harder than it should but it was all he could do given the circumstances. At least now the fear that Carl had felt early had dulled allowing a small bit of assurance to flow between them. It was what Rick needed.

Maybe before Rick would have felt powerless, locked in a train car with no way out. Now however…

A noise from the other side of the car quickly put Rick on guard again. The form that came out of the darkness though brought nothing but relief.

“Rick?” It was Glenn looking pale in the dim lighting.

“You’re here,” Rick watched as one by one people who he had been afraid he would never see again reveal themselves. After Glenn came Maggie, then Sasha, Bob, and a few unfamiliar faces.

“They’re our friends,” Maggie explained. “They helped save us.”

Something had changed. They could all feel it in the air. In their faces Rick could see a myriad of emotions going through each of them.

_They’re responding to me_. It was if the group of betas sensed that Rick’s influence as an alpha had changed. One of the men in the back, the tall red-haired one, was also an alpha stepped forward. But even this alpha seemed to sense that something was happening between the newcomers and their friends.

“Yeah,” Daryl added, “Now their friends of ours.” Just like that the new people were accepted into Rick’s group.

“For however long that’ll be,” The other alpha gripped.

“No.” _No._ Just with that word he knew the betas were ready to follow his lead whatever that would be.

Rick had never felt stronger, never felt more in-tuned to his group, and never felt more in control.

“They’re gonna feel pretty stupid when they find out,” Rick walked back to the door to look out through the opening into the strongest stream of light.

“Find out what?” the red-haired alpha asked. Behind he felt the gaze of his people all on him and inside he could feel utter confidence coming from his mate.

“They’re fuckin with the wrong people.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all for this fic! I am working on the sequel which as yet is untitled. The next fic will follow season 5A and I'm liking where it's going. Hopefully ya'll will like it to. As always kudos and comments are amazing. Thanks everyone for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope it's not too bad. Please let know what you think.


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